Liverpool 2 – Chelsea 1: a result that was rather important for both teams. For Liverpool, it means putting their new manager, Arne Slot, through the wringer. For Chelsea, the match was an opportunity to demonstrate what sort of tactical strength they are gradually gaining in the hands of Enzo Maresca.
Although the scoreboard was in favor of Liverpool, Chelsea showed moments of dominance in the game. Yet again, it was the individual brilliance of two players: Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones that would have won the match for them.
Salah And Jones Masterclass
The match was well and truly decided by some outstanding performances from the stars at Liverpool. Star of the match for Liverpool were Salah and Jones.
Curtis Jones was everywhere, as if stuck onto his central midfield area with Sellotape. His runs forward caused problems for Chelsea’s defense, and his game-winning goal was the icing on the cake. Six times he recovered the ball, which resulted in two chances produced, doing more in those areas than anyone of his teammates. His energy and ability to break up Chelsea’s play really made a difference.
Mohamed Salah continued his phenomenal form on the other hand. Salah scored a penalty and assisted Jones’s winner. His smart movements plus the ability to exploit Chelsea’s defense were key to Liverpool’s deserved win. The Egyptian King has been in the form of his life, now with five goals and five assists in just eight games.
Apparently, Liverpool had it in their game plan to always seek to get the ball to Salah as soon as possible. It saw most of its center-backs and goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher pass long balls into Salah in a bid to exploit the willingness of Chelsea center-back Malo Gusto to leave his box and play much of his game in the midfield. In that regard, Gusto together with Levi Colwill proved no match for the Egyptian forward.
The Fightback From Chelsea
Although they were defeated, Chelsea showed why they are a team that should be watched this season. Chelsea held possession much better, completing 88.1 percent of their passes-the highest recorded for a team at Anfield since 2003. And were in possession more times in the final third and had more touches inside the Liverpool penalty box.
Maresca‘s tactical game plan caught Liverpool off their guard. Chelsea play in a 3-2-2-3, which put them in charge of the midfield area. Malo Gusto took an advanced push to share a midfield box with Cole Palmer, outnumbering Liverpool’s two men in midfield. Chelsea controlled huge parts of the match through this clever tactic, though Liverpool was resolute in its defense.
Maresca made a few good changes quite into the first hour of the game. He brought on four substitutes in the first eight minutes of the second half in a bid to unlock Liverpool’s structure. Renato Veiga went deep while Enzo Fernandez moved ahead to join Palmer.
This resulted in a much more open and disorganized game for Liverpool, but Chelsea could not take advantage of this.
Tactical Brilliance by Slot
While Chelsea threw everything they had at the home team, the hosts were still composed. Slot’s influence was conspicuous in how Liverpool could slow down the game when necessary. Once Liverpool took the lead in the first half, the game was within their hands as they maintained possession until half-time had elapsed.
In the second half, Chelsea’s chaotic changes made it that much harder for this control to stay that way. But the defense of Liverpool stood firm. The team surrounded Cole Palmer each time he received the ball, so Palmer was deprived of his big moment. With the production of ten chances for his last two matches, Palmer was reduced to just one chance in that game.
Though they were pulled into a frantic contest, Liverpool went unruffled. Their defense remained intact, and they passed the much-needed test under Slot’s leadership.
Conclusion
The Liverpool win did confirm them to the top of the Premier League, but even so, Chelsea had performed commendably. Maresca’s team showed that they were amongst the best in the world as they dominated considerable parts of the play and would have easily settled for a draw at Anfield with Liverpool.
Of course, both teams have much to be proud of. For Liverpool, the tactical discipline blended with individual brilliance won the day. For Chelsea, this performance was a sign of things to come-they may have lost, but proved they are a force to be reckoned with this season.
A trusted source on WalkOn.comA trusted source on ChelseaNews.com
For more football updates, make sure to follow us on:
