Digging Deeper Into Liverpool’s Nervy Win Over Chelsea

Winners

Adrian - The Spanish keeper has really stepped up the last few games, and was absolutely stellar today. Adrian provided some huge saves, starting with a 1v1 against Tammy Abraham. He’s also put a couple mistakes with his feet behind him, staying calm when the ball was played back to him in some difficult situations, even if his cheeky chip over Abraham made my heart stop for a moment.

VAR - Liverpool dodged a bullet in the first half when a César Azpilicueta goal was correctly chalked off for Mason Mount being ruled off in the build up. After being denied a penalty in the Champions League for a blatant foul on Mohamed Salah earlier this week, it was nice to get the call in favor of the Reds.

Trent Alexander-Arnold - He said he wanted to score more goals, and boy did he deliver. The young Scouser absolutely ripped the ball into the top corner after a touch from Mohamed Salah off the free kick.

Bonus: Set Piece Goals - Yawn, just another brace of set piece goals today.

Losers

The Front Line - Mo Salah had an assist and Roberto Firmino had an assist and a goal respectively, but they, along with Sadio Mane, were far from their influential best. Firmino was probably the most influential of the three with his usual pressing and movement, but it was still not one of his best games. Mane looked off the pace, end ended up being subbed off with a knock. Mo Salah struggled to beat players off the dribble, and was covered well by Fikayo Tomori.

Clean Sheets - After a stellar defensive record last season, Liverpool have only kept one clean sheet so far this season. Trying to protect a two goal lead, Liverpool looked gassed across the board in the second half, and was caught out of position several times. Tired legs probably contributed to Fabinho getting turned by N’golo Kante for the Chelsea goal. Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who always put in a shift on the outside, faded considerably in the second half as well, though both stepped up in moments when needed. There was a lot of emergency defending to see the game out, much of which was necessitated by an inability to hold onto the ball.

What Happens Next

Another match week is over, and Liverpool are still perfect in the league, and hold a 5 point lead over Manchester City. The team (hopefully composed of reserves and youngsters) travels to MK Dons in the League Cup this Wednesday.

Giving Credit to Chelsea

Chelsea were pesky and persistent. They had to use two subs in the first half for injuries, had a goal disallowed, and were down 2-0 going into the half. Instead of rolling over, they came out with fervor in the second half. N’golo Kante was his stellar best against Liverpool today, and Fikayo Tomori stood out with his speed, composure, and defensive positioning.