Liverpool arrived at Stamford Bridge and continued their dominance over Chelsea FC since Frank Lampard has been manager. Chelsea looked capable of competing against Liverpool at points throughout match, but everything changed with the first-half red card for Andreas Christensen. Mane was played through on goal, but Christensen clumsily wrapped both arms around Mane and tackled him to the ground when he was clear on goal. Forced to play with 10 men, the Chelsea squad was always unlikely to get a result against Liverpool. The visitors then played out a comfortable 2 goal win. Chelsea had a chance to get back into the game with a penalty kick after Timo Werner was fouled inside the box, but Jorginho unfortunately was denied by Alisson. Final score: Chelsea 0 -2 Liverpool.
Within the defeat lied many key moments and decisions that ultimately contributed to the unfortunate score line. Player performances and decision-making let the team down in key moments, and that is simply not acceptable when facing any squad of Liverpool’s quality and continuity. I did not expect the squad to get a win, and I would have been quite happy with a draw. I was not surprised that a young, inexperienced Chelsea squad lost this match, but I did notice 5 key takeaways and talking points from the match.
- The Rise of Tomori
Fikayo Tomori entered the match in the 45th minute to add more defensive solidity to the 10-man squad, and I thought Tomori’s performance was one of the bright spots from this match. He added much more capability and confidence along the backline, and clearly showed in this match why he was often selected in the early stages of the 2019/2020 campaign. Tomori looked like he was sending a message to Frank Lampard with his performance on the pitch: he must play more often for the squad’s sake. Tomori’s performance also stood out in contrast to Andreas Christensen’s dismal showing on Sunday. Christensen’s red card in the first minute of extra time of the first half put the squad in a massive hole. Playing against Liverpool with a 10-man squad that lacks chemistry is the perfect recipe for defeat, and Chelsea were no exception on Sunday. While Tomori shined on the pitch at points, Christensen massively disappointed. Perhaps this is something to consider going forward in the season.
2. Two Striker Formation
Just as in the Brighton match where Werner and Ruben Loftus-Cheek played as forwards/strikers, the system against Liverpool appeared to rely on 2 forwards for the first half. Werner and Havertz seemed to occupy these roles, and it was particularly evident at points when the squad was off-the-ball. I think this formation has caught many others and myself off-guard, as the 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 were largely expected to be the formations used this season. I suspect the absences of Chilwell, Silva, Ziyech, and Pulisic are the reason this formation has been used so far, but with Tammy and Giroud both in the squad, I have a feeling the 2 striker system will be used on more than one occasion in the future. I doubt it will be used the majority of the time, but I think it adds another wrinkle of tactical flexibility that Lampard can have at this disposal, which could be key in matches where the squad is chasing a goal or trying to break down a stubborn defense.
3. Poor, Poor Kepa
Once again, this match proved that Kepa is too mistake-prone to be a top-level goalkeeper at this moment, consistently losing Chelsea vital points. The first error started early in the first-half when he rushed out to the edge of his box, and completely misjudged the distance he had to close. Kepa was caught in no-man’s-land, and he was too late to get back into the goal before the cross was played across the box. Chelsea were lucky to not concede there. Unfortunately for Kepa, it did not get any better throughout the match. Kepa could have done little to prevent the first goal, as it was a great cross and goal by Sadio Mane. But Kepa and his calamities were on full display for the second goal, as he passed the ball straight to Mane, who easily tapped in the goal for his second of the match, which ended even the smallest hopes that Chelsea could earn a draw from the match. Kepa’s confidence has to be decimated if it wasn’t already, and I fear Lampard has seen enough to know he cannot continue with Kepa in goal any longer. We shall see what happens, but I think Kepa’s days are numbered unless he responds with great effort and performances in the daily sessions at Cobham.
4. The Curious Case of Callum Hudson-Odoi
What a strange turn of events for CHO. He was destined for it all in April 2019, yet flash forward 17 months, and the star boy is struggling to find a path to minutes on the pitch. Rightly so, many fans (including myself) are starting to be concerned by this trend. CHO was left on the bench as an unused substitute against Liverpool, and I expected him to start. Playing Liverpool, the squad needed to be more direct at certain points and use pace to beat the high press that Liverpool often employs, and CHO seemed perfect for this role. CHO also offers a fair amount of creativity with his ability to assist and pick outcrosses, but instead, Mount was played out-of-position again on the wing over CHO. I found this to be puzzling, but there must be a reason for this. I suspect the reason has nothing to do with CHO’s talent or potential. The reasons for CHO not being selected, even when other wingers are not fit to make the bench, must be due to something going on behind the scenes. What exactly that remains to be seen.
5. No Reason to Panic
Although the squad was obviously second-best to Liverpool, there should not be any panic. There are several reasons why panic should not be going through the fanbase. First, the squad was down to 10 men. I have mentioned this several times because I truly feel this is what killed any chance at picking up the desired three points from this match. Second, individual mistakes plagued Chelsea. This is (somewhat) encouraging to me, as individual errors are more indicative of personnel issues than whole-squad or tactical issues. As many players were injured for the match (and more players are possibly on their way to the club) I think many of these individual mistakes will disappear with new players in the starting XI, time, and continuity/chemistry between the Chelsea players. Finally, Liverpool is the reigning champions and have been building their squad and system for several years. In contrast, Lampard is just now assembling the squad he wants. It will take time to reach the heights that Klopp has soared to while at Liverpool but be patient. Rome wasn’t built overnight.
Written by Travis Flock @Crossroads_CFC
Edited by Jai Mcintosh @jjmcintosh5