Match Review: Chelsea 1 – Liverpool 1

In the run-up to the opening weekend of this new 2023-24 Premier League season, we saw the current predicaments of Moisés Caicedo and Romeo Lavia ridiculously morphing into a protracted transfer saga - Greek tragedy - Shakespearean drama.

Seriously, two clubs that are not even in the Champions League fighting to splash a British record of more than £110 mln. for a defensive midfielder? Hey Jude, it now looks like you were a bargain after all…

Thankfully, the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge between the Merseyside Reds and London Blues was sufficient to put all that on the back burner, at least temporarily.

There was enough entertainment and talking points on the pitch to finally hijack the attention away from each club hijacking the other’s own hijacking of the aforementioned transfers.

First, how on earth was Liverpool not awarded a penalty in the 53rd minute for a blatant handball by Nicolas Jackson who blocked a goal-bound header from Luis Diaz??

VAR did not even deem it necessary to send ref Anthony Taylor to the pitch side monitor. Just baffling.

Inheriting the iconic Number 7 shirt, Luis Diaz aptly opened the score in the 18th minute, sliding the ball into the net with his left foot from an exquisite Mo Salah cross.

Salah himself had collected a long pass from new signing Alexis Mac Allister before assisting the Colombian.

It must be said that in the pre-season against Leicester in Singapore, Mac Allister instigated the moves that led to 2 of Liverpool’s 4 goals. He has a clear vision of how to unlock opposing defenses and for that, he already looks like a shrewd signing this summer.

A defensive midfielder is much needed after all

On Sunday, our new Number 10 was a temporary solution in defensive midfield. But clearly, he can inflict more damage from a more advanced position. Probably for that reason, Liverpool appear ready to shell out significant sums for Fabinho’s replacement.

In the meanwhile, how about putting Curtis Jones in defensive midfield? He did well as such in that pre-season against Leicester and also against Bayern Munich. As a born and bred Scouser, CuJo will run into a brick wall for the team.

Nonetheless, the Reds started this match the far better side. They clearly had the upper hand, pressing incessantly for the first 30 minutes. Before Diaz’s goal, Salah had hit the crossbar on the 12th after good work from Cody Gakpo on the left wing.

On the half-hour mark, Mo Salah put the ball at the back of the net from a peach of a pass from who else, Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Quite a shame that VAR ruled him offside (it was marginal though) because Trent’s pass was outrageously of top quality.

Salah’s ruled out effort finally woke up Chelsea. The latter half of the first half belonged to them as they found a way to neuter Liverpool’s pressing.

They duly equalised on the 37th after the Reds struggled to clear a corner and the second ball after that. Their new French defender Axel Disasi pounced from the third ball that Ben Chilwell had sent it.

Taking advantage of their ascendancy, the Londoners even scored again less than 2 minutes later but thankfully, Ben Chilwell’s effort was ruled offside by VAR.

However, the surprise of the second half was that there was no further goal, thereby contradicting the manner the initial period had ended.

Klopp was pleased with the pressing

But that belied the intensity that the Liverpool players applied to their opponents. So much so that they already slowed down the proceedings with 20 minutes left on the clock as some were presumably running on empty.

With nothing noteworthy getting created from tired legs, Jurgen Klopp sought to freshen things on the pitch, bringing on Ben Doak and Harvey Elliot for Salah and Diaz.

A clearly frustrated Egyptian King was fuming as he left the pitch, probably because he would not score on a seventh consecutive opening day which would have undoubtedly been an outstanding feat.

On the 92nd, Darwin Nunez created a chance for himself out of nothing. He dispossessed Malo Gusto in midfield before unleashing a ferocious shot just outside the box.

Agonizingly, a slight deflection off Disasi saw the ball flying just wide. Nonetheless, Klopp heartily approved of Nunez initiative, confirming his desire to see the Uruguayan striker more involved in Save the pressing aspect of Liverpool’s game.

Credit must also be given to Alisson Becker as he made determinant blocks, earning Liverpool that one point.

A fair sharing of the spoils according to both sides. Still a baffling 7th consecutive draw between the two clubs, 5th consecutive in the league.

Now, back to the soap opera of the transfer market…

Mike Chung.
YNWA