Liverpool and Chelsea draw in a tense match
Sports Writing, Jan. 21 - Beaten by injuries and an unexpectedly bad season, Liverpool and Chelsea played a nervy match on Saturday at Anfield, ending in a goalless draw that doesn't benefit either team, a sad celebration for Jürgen Klopp's 1,000th match on the "red" bench.
With a 19-point gap from the leader, Arsenal, and 10 points away from the fourth place before the start of the twentieth Premier League matchday, Liverpool and Chelsea not only needed the three points, but also to regain their confidence and feel important against a rival they have often fought for the title with, while waiting for players to recover.
Therefore, they delivered a vibrant, nervous, and at times chaotic match, with numerous imprecisions from end to end.
Chelsea threatened more in the first half, having a goal by Kai Havertz disallowed by VAR for offside in the 3rd minute, and half an hour later, Alisson cleared a close-range header from Benoit Badiashile off the goal line. However, Liverpool regained control before halftime, and with Uruguayan Darwin Núñez on the bench, they only created a bit of danger through Cody Gakpo, their star signing in the winter transfer market.
Encouraged by the end of the first half, Klopp's team went all out after the break. They kept Chelsea trapped in their own half and had more shots in the first ten minutes of the second half than in the previous 45 minutes.
Liverpool's dominance was such that Graham Potter decided to bring in Myjailo Mudryk, the Ukrainian youngster for whom Chelsea paid €100 million - including bonuses - to Shakhtar Donetsk.
With hardly any training in London, Mudryk didn't need much time to show why he is one of the great promises of European football. In 10 minutes, he had Chelsea's first chance - which he sent into the side netting after dribbling past two opponents - and got James Milner booked, who was later substituted by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
With Darwin Núñez on the field to counter the opponent's pressure, with the stands on fire, and with the game broken, Liverpool and Chelsea showed more danger than efficiency in the penalty areas and couldn't find the path to goal. Klopp shouted on the sideline, unable to find the formula that would allow him to celebrate his thousandth match with a victory, forced to admit that the February match against Real Madrid in the Champions League takes on vital importance to turn the campaign around.
Match details:
0 - Liverpool: Alisson, Milner (Alexander-Arnold, m.72), Konate, Gomez, Robertson, Bajcetic (Fabinho, m.82), Keita (Núñez, m.63), Thiago, Elliott (Jones, m.82), Salah, Gakpo (Henderson, m.82).
0 - Chelsea: Kepa, Chalobah (Azpilicueta, m.81), Thiago Silva, Badiashile, Cucurella, Hall (Mudryk, m.55), Jorginho, Gallagher, Mount (Chukwumeka, m.82), Ziyech, Havertz (Aubameyang, m.81).
Referee: Michael Oliver. Bookings: Bajcetic, Milner, Jones (Liverpool); Chalobah (Chelsea).
Venue: Anfield, Premier League, EFE
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