Liverpool 4-1 Chelsea (Jota 23′, Bradley 39′, Szoboszlai 65′, Diaz 79′ | Nkunku 71′)
ANFIELD — Meteorologists scratching their heads looking for the next storm name need look no further.
Storm Jurgen is a ferocious sight. Given extra oomph by last week’s announcement that shocked the world, Liverpool really are willing to blow the rest of the competition away in pursuit of the perfect end to the German’s breathless spell in England.
A 200th Premier League win for Jurgen Klopp – only Pep Guardiola has reached the mark in fewer games – was brought about by a truly ferocious display that Chelsea, even in their much-improved guise, had no answer to. Few could offer any resistance to the Klopp cyclone.
Darwin Nunez had five shots, two against the woodwork, inside 18 minutes, even before Diogo Jota opened the scoring, with young Conor Bradley’s relentless rise keeping the toothy Klopp supergrin set in place all match.
Nunez could even miss a penalty and not burst the Anfield bubble. The Klopp juggernaut’s last ride is one for the thrill seekers, for sure.
For a man who insists that the rest of this season is not about him, he sure mentions his imminent departure a lot, with a large portion of his programme notes dedicated to the subject.
But even without the gentle reminders from the man himself, there is going to be no escaping the impending doom north of the Wirral.
Every match has to be played the Klopp way, something to remember him by as, if the manager is going to give every last drop of energy to winning Liverpool their second Premier League title, then the least his players can do is follow suit.
The man at the centre of everything was coming from a familiar part of the pitch for a Liverpool tempo dictator, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold watching on, worriedly, from the bench, Bradley showed Chelsea what happens when you give academy graduates their chance to shine.
Firstly, he set up Jota for the Portuguese’s fourth goal in as many games, only to create a moment he and his family will never forget, arrowing a superb strike into the net six minutes before the break.
Nunez’s woes in front of goal won’t go away, however, as he, after being handed the duties by Alexis Mac Allister, arrowed against the only post he hadn’t hit yet from the spot on the stroke of half-time.
Chelsea improved marginally after the break, with another struggling forward, Mykhailo Mudryk, missing a golden chance to get his side back into it.
It mattered little, as Liverpool in this mood were always going to score again, Dominik Szoboszlai heading in the third to keep Anfield bristling, from another pinpoint Bradley cross – the Northern Irish youngster’s fifth goal contribution in his last two Liverpool appearances.
Player of the match: Conor Bradley
- Trent who? Inpenetrable defensively and a threat every time he ventures forward. A star in the making.
Christopher Nkunku’s neat finish was in vain as Luis Diaz put the icing on the cake late on to keep Liverpool out in front at the Premier League summit.
Manchester City may well do what they always do at this time of year and go on 20-game unbeaten runs in second gear, but Liverpool’s title tilt is only going to be played one way.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/csGtWxp
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