Chelsea were overpowered and outclassed as they sustained a brutal 4-1 defeat against Premier League leaders Liverpool on Wednesday. The Blues were second best from beginning to end as Jurgen Klopp’s team ran rampant at Anfield against a group of players who looked like deer caught in headlights at times. The scoreline would have been worse, too, had Darwin Nunez not hit the woodwork an incredible four times in the game.
The Blues went into the game sat 10th in the top flight, but they put up less of a fight against Liverpool than Championship team Norwich City did in their FA Cup clash at the weekend. The defensive line-up of Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, Benoit Badiashile, and the worst culprit, Ben Chilwell, floundering right from the start left poor goalkeeper Dorde Petrovic completely exposed throughout the first half.
Chilwell gave away the ball, while Silva and Badiashile did little to stop Diogo Jota from powering through and scoring the first Liverpool goal. Then Chilwell left Raheem Sterling on his own down the left by wrapping himself up with Jota to allow Conor Bradley to double the lead. Badiashile then gave away a penalty, but Nunez’s wastefulness from the spot was the only thing that kept Liverpool from being out of sight by halftime.
Chelsea went 48 minutes without a shot, and by the time Enzo Fernandez’s tame long-range effort went into Alisson’s hands in first-half stoppage time, Liverpool had created 15 attempts. So miserable were they that coach Mauricio Pochettino had to make three changes at halftime.
The changes did have an influence, though, as after going 3-0 down following a Dominik Szoboszlai header, Carney Chukwuemeka drove forward and found Christopher Nkunku to lash in a consolation with 20 minutes left to play. Shortly afterwards, they should have had a penalty for a foul on the France forward, but their protests were waved away by the referee for the second time in the game.
There was no such turnaround, though, as Liverpool went on to hit the bar once again before Luis Diaz slid into his team’s fourth after Badiashile lost track of the Colombian at the back post.
Dorde Petrovic (6/10):
You have to feel sorry for him. He pulled off a few good saves but was drowning as his teammates could do nothing to stop Liverpool’s onslaught.
Axel Disasi (4/10):
Had a rough time up against Diaz on the right before moving central for the second half. Did nothing to stop Szoboszlai from heading in the third.
Thiago Silva (5/10):
I had looked behind the pace from the beginning. Put in a tame challenge to let Jota through to score, but went on to make a few important interventions.
Benoit Badiashile (4/10):
I made a couple of strong blocks but made an awful challenge on the first goal. Gave away the penalty and just looked completely overwhelmed before losing Diaz for the fourth.
Ben Chilwell (2/10):
His terrible control gifted Liverpool possession for the first goal. Booked for diving in the first half and then tangled with Jota just as the ball moved over to his side for the second goal.
Moises Caicedo (5/10):
His passing was stable, but it could not stop his team from being overrun in the middle.
Enzo Fernandez (6/10):
Picked up a silly yellow card and didn’t do enough on the ball, but provided more aggression than most team-mates.
Conor Gallagher (5/10):
Should have had a penalty early on. It took too much time to be on the ball and failed to create anything.
Noni Madueke (4/10):
He tried to have a run at the Reds’ backline but had no luck and became a dead end.
Cole Palmer (6/10):
He at least tried to get into the mix despite all the action happening behind him and was left all on his own.
Raheem Sterling (6/10):
I got on the ball and attempted to run at the defence and pick out some incisive passes, but little came off.
Mykhailo Mudryk (4/10):
Had a great chance after coming off the bench at halftime but sent it sailing over the bar. He did nothing else.
Malo Gusto (6/10):
Slotted in on the right side for the second half and was a bit more reliable than Disasi.
Christopher Nkunku (7/10):
He was left completely on his own until he fired in his second Chelsea goal in the 71st minute, and he should have had a penalty.
Carney Chukwuemeka (6/10):
He immediately provided a spark as his run and pass created danger for Nkunku’s goal.
Mauricio Pochettino (4/10):
His team was completely overrun from the beginning. They made three key changes at the break in an attempt to inspire some kind of fightback, and while there was some improvement, they still couldn’t prevent Liverpool from making it a thrashing.
Disclaimer: This article is written by mungbobo and his views don't reflect those of PredictGov. We don't guarantee the accuracy Use your own judgment before relying on it. All images are copyrighted to their respective owners. For concerns, use our Comment Box or Contact Us form. We're not liable for any losses or damages due to this content.