STAMFORD BRIDGE — Chelsea and Liverpool fought themselves to a standstill in a volcanic draw that ultimately served the interests of leaders Manchester City and the neutral more than either.
Two goals shortly before half-time earned Chelsea their point after manager Thomas Tuchel had left out Romelu Lukaku on disciplinary grounds.
That decision following Lukaku’s explosive interview in which he was critical of Tuchel, looked to have backfired as Chelsea missed early chances that he might have scored. Liverpool took full advantage via Sadio Mane and Mo Salah in their final game before leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The first angered Chelsea, who argued for Mane’s dismissal for elbowing Cesar Azpilicueta just 30 seconds into the match. Mane survived to slot Liverpool into a ninth-minute lead. Salah doubled it in the 26th and Liverpool were flying.
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Liverpool (4-3-3)
By James Gray
- Caoimhin Kelleher – 7.5
- Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6.5
- Ibrahim Konate – 6.5
- Virgil van Dijk – 6
- Kostas Tsimikas – 6
- Jordan Henderson – 6.5
- Fabinho – 6
- James Milner – 5
- Mo Salah – 7.5
- Diogo Jota – 5
- Sadio Mane – 7.5
Substitutes
- Naby Keita – 6
- Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 6
Star player: It cannot have been easy for Caoimhin Kelleher, thrust into one of Liverpool’s biggest games of the season after Alisson Becker tested positive for Covid. The 23-year-old looked a little nervy with the ball at his feet, understandable given the raucous atmosphere, but was strong under the high ball and produced a fine save to deny Christian Pulisic on the hour mark that stood out.
Chelsea (3-4-2-1)
By Katherine Lucas
- Edouard Mendy – 7
- Trevoh Chalobah – 4.5
- Thiago Silva – 6.5
- Antonio Rudiger – 7
- Cesar Azpilicueta – 7
- N’Golo Kante – 8
- Mateo Kovacic – 8
- Marcos Alonso – 6
- Mason Mount – 6
- Christian Pulisic – 7
- Kai Havertz – 4
Substitutes
- Jorginho – 6
- Hudson-Odoi – 6
Star player: Kovacic was an obvious candidate because of his spectacular volley but his midfield partner N’Golo Kante quietly ran the show, his driving runs making him one of Chelsea’s biggest creators in the second half. The Frenchman also registered the assist for Christian Pulisic’s equaliser with a subtle flick past Ibrahima Konate.
Analysis
By i‘s chief football writer Daniel Storey
Managers obsess about control. It’s all very well putting on a show, but the team that wins the league will roughly be the side that controls games the best, with and without the ball. It is – and this almost goes without saying – what makes Manchester City so good under Pep Guardiola.
Liverpool are different. Their majesty, at least from a neutral’s perspective, comes from a lack of control. While Manchester City purr their way through matches, a classical symphony of a performance, Liverpool clash and clang and crash their way forwards. At any moment of this season, you could envisage Liverpool conceding or scoring a goal within the next 30 seconds and yet wouldn’t necessarily be able to predict how.
This was a raucous, brilliant advert for the Premier League. But ultimately, it proves why Liverpool will fall short in the title race. They did not soak up Chelsea pressure. They did not enjoy long spells of possession to suck the life out of the crowd and they left enough space in their defence to give Chelsea heart. They lacked control when control would surely have kept them in touch with the league leaders.
Liverpool are the best team to watch in the title race, and that’s both a compliment and insult. Their zenith is higher than any other team in the country, but their ability to make life difficult for themselves as well as easy is their undoing. And when you watch them play open, expansive, entertaining matches against the league’s elite club, you realise that you wouldn’t have them any other way.
Mane’s challenge was ‘a clear red’
There was no doubt in the mind of the Chelsea captain that Mane should have been sent off for elbowing him in the head just six seconds into the game.
“It’s a clear red,” Azpilicueta told Sky Sports. “I don’t mind if it’s five seconds into the game, first action, it’s a clear red. He doesn’t want to challenge, he doesn’t see the ball, he just wants to hit with the elbow.
“I honestly don’t understand we have these type of decisions – the other day, two penalties the VAR didn’t come, today, it’s a clear red card. Of course we are getting these decisions against us that could change the way of the game.
“They will say what they think, but I can’t understand we are promoting the challenges in the Premier League, 50-50 with the ball, sometimes we are seeing a joke of penalties, and sometimes we see real, dangerous actions and we don’t take action.”
We still believe we can win the title, says Van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk was full of praise for Kelleher, whom he told Sky Sports was “learning from the best” as Alisson’s understudy.
“His presence is good, he’s confident on the ball and he’s making good saves as well. We need him right now because of the Covid cases. Unfortunately we conceded two but the first he can’t do anything about it. We need him for the next game as well.”
The only real winners at Stamford Bridge were Manchester City, who have an 11-point gap at the top of the table – but Van Dijk insists the Reds haven’t given up hope yet, particularly with a game in hand.
“It’s never difficult to believe – it’s a big gap,” he added. “They have the title to lose but anything can happen still. We’ve been there where we had a gap and we gave it away, so anything’s possible – we will focus on ourselves. We just have to get results, play good football and win games.”
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