Liverpool 4 Chelsea 1
Jurgen Klopp’s side welcomed Chelsea to Anfield with many expecting it to be a tight affair, despite the visitors’ performances this season suggesting anything but a club with an identity under the new manager.
This game was a dress rehearsal for the Carabao Cup final, with each of the last seven meetings between the pair having ended in a stalemate. The Reds have a passion to ensure they finish the season on a high for their departing manager as they chase silverware.
The first talking point of the game came as Conor Gallagher strode into the box, before falling to the ground, demanding a penalty. The referee did not agree and a VAR review did not change anything for the visitors. The replay showed that Gallagher went down very easily.
Jota then linked up with Nunez and the striker hit his shot early from outside the box, clipping the top of the crossbar on its way through. The Uruguayan was in lively form and soon got another shot off at goal but a touch from Petrovic ensured his effort hit the woodwork once again.
Credit: @LFC
Conor Bradley broke into the Liverpool side due to an injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold but the young Irish full back has really taken to life in the first team. He dispossessed Chilwell and played the ball to Jota, still with a lot of work to do.
The Portuguese forward danced in between the Chelsea centre-backs, with a slice of good fortune, as the ball ricocheted back into his path. With only the keeper to beat, he made no mistake in finding the back of the net and giving Klopp’s side the lead.
Anfield erupted and Chelsea looked rocked by the goal. Liverpool could sense that Pochettino’s side were there for the taking at this point. The high-tempo pressing style of Jurgen Klopp’s side had the visitors in all sorts of trouble.
Luis Diaz then dribbled through the middle of the park before spotting Conor Bradley in acres of space down the right wing. The full back took a couple of touches before rifling the ball into the far corner to get his first senior goal for the club.
Liverpool had Chelsea on the ropes by this stage and as Jota went down under the challenge of Badiashile, Paul Tierney immediately pointed to the penalty spot. VAR reviewed the incident and agreed with the on-field decision as it always seems to.
Darwin Nunez stepped up to take it, sent the keeper the wrong way, only to see his side-footed effort thunder back off the goal frame. It was a real let off for the visitors but Pochettino was not happy with what he was seeing from his side.
Credit: @LFC
At the interval, the Chelsea manager made three changes. Soon after the restart, Sterling got down the right wing and played a perfect pass into the box to find Mudryk completely unmarked. Despite this, the Ukrainian sent his first-time effort into the stands. Big chance.
The Reds punished the visitors for their poor finishing as Bradley picked the ball up on the right wing and clipped an inch-perfect cross into the box for Szoboszlai to head home. Liverpool were dominating The Blues and you felt this game could be any score by the end.
Pochettino’s squad cost more than most wars yet looked like a disjointed group of players who had never met each other before kick-off. Not known as a club with patience for under-achieving managers, the noose is surely starting to tighten around the Argentine’s neck.
Substitutes combined as Chukwuemeka strode forward towards the Liverpool penalty area. He found Nkunku in the box, who turned neatly before driving the ball into the far corner with Alisson unsighted as it went through the legs of Konate. It gave the fans who travelled from the capital some hope of a comeback.
Chelsea had a brief period of pressure on Jurgen Klopp’s side as Mudryk found Nkunku in the box. He went to ground, rather dramatically, claiming to be fouled by Van Dijk. Once again there was no interest from the referee and VAR decided not to intervene.
The replay showed that there was contact between the Liverpool defender and the standing foot of Nkunku but he threw himself in the air like he had stood on a landmine. Pochettino’s side felt aggrieved that once again the decision did not go their way.
Gakpo then played Robertson in down the left and his cross found Nunez in the box. He met the ball with a solid header, only to see it come back off the crossbar. Unbelievably, the striker had hit the woodwork four times in the game.
Mac Allister found Nunez, who made a run into the channel and crossed from the byline. Diaz arrived in the box and slotted the ball home to give Liverpool some breathing space in the game. It was nothing more than they deserved for their performance.
Jurgen Klopp’s side took all the points and Chelsea can consider themselves lucky that they were not on the end of a much heavier defeat. Pochettino even said as much in his post-match interview as he said his side were beaten by a much better team.
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