August 29, (THEWILL) – The title credentials of two of the top favourites to clinch the premiership trophy this season was out on display as Mohamed Salah scored to see that the points were shared in Liverpool’s comeback after a spirited defense by Chelsea ensured the game finished 1-1 even though they had to play the second half one man short.
The EPL cracker at Anfield pitted two of the early season’s toughest sides as Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea made the trip to the Liverpool home for a Matchday three encounter that was marked by early Chelsea dominance.
Jurgen Klopp’s charges restrained the advances of the visitors confidently until the 22nd minute when Chelsea inched ahead through the German Kai Havertz, who angled a sensational looping header from a Reece James corner kick beyond Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
The goal appeared to have knocked off the controlled Liverpool performance as their game witnessed an uncharacteristic disjointed phase. But, just before the interval, fortune intervened to give the hosts the lifeline their game needed.
It was an improbable defensive error in what has mostly been an error-proof Chelsea defense since Tuchel began to mould the backline in his image. A left-wing corner upset the Chelsea defense so much that James attempted to block a close-range follow-up from Sadio Mane with his arm.
Referee Anthony Taylor went to review the incident and along with the video assistant referee (VAR) awarded the hosts a penalty while simultaneously sending off the Blues defender. It gave the numerical advantage to Liverpool straightaway and the chance to even the scores before the break.
For the 14th consecutive time since joining Liverpool, Salah stepped up and confidently buried the ball in the net from 12 yards, sending the ever-reliable Chelsea keeper, the Senegalese Edouard Mendy the wrong way.
The one-man extra advantage that Liverpool had made it easy to seize back control of the tie from Chelsea. Their determination to turn that into a lead meant they kept Mendy thoroughly engaged with the keeper giving a proper account of his status as one of the safest hands in the business as he kept the scores unchanged with saves against Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The Reds could not find a way to further breach the compactness of the Blues backline and began to lose some of their rhythm and tempo with the match winding down. The second half changes Tuchel improvised with the introduction of Thiago Silva and Matteo Kovacic helped to keep Chelsea above water.
There were no further goals to see out the game As 10-man Chelsea succeeded in not allowing Liverpool take too much of an advantage of their home game and numerical strength. The dropped points bring the 100 per cent records of the two title contenders to an end in an interesting game.
Chelsea impressed with their immediate and remote response to losing James, who had been in remarkable form so far and was again on the assist chart having provided Havertz with the telling pass that led to the opener. His red card upset the Blues as his absence left a yawning gulf in his position.
But, the general Chelsea team response in the second half was commendable especially in the face of an attacking-minded force like Liverpool playing with an advantage. Yet, the thriftiness of the Chelsea defense forced the home side to depend mostly on long-range attempts.
Upon their return from the international break, Chelsea welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, September 11 while Liverpool have a trip to make to take on Leeds the following day.
Three match days are not enough to engage in permutations about how one side or the other will end up with the 2021/2022 title but on the strength of their season so far, Chelsea and Liverpool, have shown why they are favourites. Having done this with just 10-men, Tuchel again is making it certain that the prize for this season includes taking the premiership.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
