In a Premier League clash between two teams with totally opposite levels of motivation, Chelsea played the Liverpool host on Sunday and took advantage of the situation to book a potentially important three-pointer in the Champions League qualifying round.
Enzo Fernandez finished off a nice offense in less than three minutes to break the deadlock, with a rather unfortunate goal from Jarrel Cuanza double the Blues’ lead in the 56th minute. Liverpool captain Vilgilvandick reduced the team’s deficit five minutes ago, but Quansa admitted a second-half penalty, adding another moment to his miserable day in the office.
team
Leaves without the ground they’d lose if they were to finish in the top five, Chelsea took part in this contest with their undoubtedly most powerful lineup. Manager Enzo Maresca still had to do it without five players. The quartet of injuries absent has forwarded defenders Wesley Fofana, midfielders Omari Kellyman, Christopher Nukank and Mark Giu.
Robert Sanchez returned to finish. Moises Caicedo started with Reece James and Malo Gusto fit only on the bench, with Marc Cucurella on the left and the centre-back duo of Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah complete the back four. Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez were paired up in the middle of the park, allowing Cole Palmer to roam even more freely around the freedom. In the attack, striker Nicholas Jackson was supported by Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke.
As for Liverpool, it wasn’t surprising to see the coaches squeezing some changes after his team won the Premier League title last week. However, long-term absentees Joe Gomez and Tyler Morton still haven’t recovered from their respective injuries.
Goalkeeper Alison Becker, centre-back Virgil van Dik and right-back Trent Alexander Arnold held their spot on the team, but Quansah was given a chance before Ibrahima Conate, like left-back Costas Tsimika before Andy Robertson. The midfield looked completely different, with Wataru End, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott all in the lineup. Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah formed the offensive line.
Short summary
The game began with Chelsea claiming control early on. For three minutes, Enzo Fernandez took advantage of a quick counterattack and gave the Bruce an early lead, finishing a move started by Romeo Lava and Pedroneto.
Throughout the first half, Chelsea maintained pressure and created several opportunities, but were unable to expand their lead. Liverpool, despite enjoying 65% possession, struggled to penetrate Chelsea’s organized defense, lacking the strength that is usually associated with their play.
In the second half, Chelsea doubled their advantage in the 56th minute. A defensive misunderstanding led Quansah to mistakenly point the ball towards his own net following a deleted clearance from Van Dijk.
Liverpool was able to pull one back when Van Dik headed to the corner in the 85th minute, offering visitors a faint hope of hope as Chelsea showed a lack of focus on their box for the first time.
However, despite goals rekindled Liverpool’s hopes and driving them for a second half equalizer, Chelsea sealed their victory deeply in stop time. Kaiseko was fouled into the box and caught by the unfortunate Quansa, making Cole Palmer confidently converts to an end the 18-match goal drought and ends the hosts’ victory without question.
Chelsea is in full racing
Chelsea’s victory in this game was perfectly deserved. This was not surprising in the current situation. However, even considering Liverpool’s spinning lineup and lack of practical motivation, it shows that the Bruce is truly making progress under Maresca’s leadership.
These three points put Chelsea tally to a total of 63. This came in fourth behind Newcastle, who came in fifth and fourth by goal difference, behind third-place Manchester City, and behind Arsenal. They also have Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa in the 60, and Forest plays the game as well, so they need to keep an eye on the team behind them.
The remaining three rounds of the campaign promise an intriguing finish. Having secured the title, Liverpool will of course be playing in the Champions League next season, but they will get all the rest of the places that guarantee a spot in the UEFA elite tournament. Even Arsenal is not safe.
Although Chelsea obviously got the most out of a clash with Liverpool, the next task is a huge task when traveling northeast of England to face Newcastle.
As for Liverpool, their hangover after last week’s celebration is very understandable. So is the decision that slots will give Fringe players the opportunity to boost tally for a few minutes of the season. Unlike the infamous defeat, they suffered at the hands of this same opponent in 2014, and this didn’t hurt a bit when the infamous slip-by club icon Stephen Gerrard took place.
Had things panned out differently last month, Liverpool’s meeting with Arsenal at Anfield next week would likely have been a season match on the UK’s top flight. It remains as is, and the gunners, facing the challenge of overturning France’s one-goal deficit against Paris Saint-Germain in a few days, see what strengths will be gathered on which side.