The chilly evening under an ink-black sky in Liverpool aired one of Premier League’s most anticipated encounters when Jurgen Klopp hosted the blues at Anfield. It felt like a big game, and the atmosphere made it sound like a big game.
Liverpool were the only side Antonio Conte failed to beat last season and was hoping to break this streak. The first three quarters apparently were ‘plain dull’ and seemed to be more of absorbing ones. However, the visitors had better of the chances in the first half with Eden Hazard piercing the Liverpool defence line with exceptional runs and releases for Danny Drinkwater and Alvaro Morata. The Belgian certainly was the best player on the pitch for the blues. The scoreline read all square at the break.
The first goal of the game came in the 65th minute from the Anfield pharaoh Mohamed Salah, assisted via runs by Philippe Coutinho in the box. A win for the reds would have levelled them up with Chelsea at the third position in the points table. However, the tables turned against the Merseyside when Willian was brought in for Zappacosta in the 83rd minute, and it took him a couple to set a mark, when he scored an unusual goal in the 85th, beating Simon Mignolet and leaving him subordinate faced. The final scoreline at Anfield read Liverpool (1)- Chelsea (1).
Here are the 5 points we learnt under more in-depth scrutiny:
2Chelsea’s flanks crises
Antonio Conte has infamously adopted a whimsical tactical formation over the last couple of matches as far as Chelsea wings are concerned. Meanwhile, Zappacosta was given the charge of the right flank, and Gary Cahill was dropped in the centre back position. The Italian seemed to be flexible in dropping interjections to Hazard, Morata, Kante and Alonso. Marcos Alonso, however, struggled to keep the pace in the left wing and the reds, capitalising on his flaws, were clinical from that part of the pitch following the likes of Coutinho, Salah and Henderson.
