We are lacking a bit of freshness that could have given us a bit more. They have set the standard really high and we need to raise on our level. We are on our way but we have not managed the level of consistency we needed to stay at the top. That was wonderful entertainment, a sophisticated bar-room brawl of a match.
It was The pace was demented throughout, and there were a couple of extraordinary goals from Mo Salah and Mateo Kovacic. The second half has flown by. With Kelleher and Gavin Bazunu, Ireland should be okay in that department for the next, gulp, years.
The ball comes back to Mount, who cracks a good follow-up shot that is well held to his right by Kelleher. The free-kick is to the left of centre, a great position for someone like Mason Mount.
Konate is still down, though. What Thomas Tuchel would give for Timo Werner now. It was a decent effort but Kelleher was comfortable that it was going over.
As entertaining as sport can possibly be. And I hate every second. He feeds it back to the edge of the area for Tsimikas, who drags a cross shot wide of the far post.
I think it took a slight touch off Thiago but a goalkick was given. Updated at 5. Alonso clips a cross towards Pulisic, whose snapshot from six yards is pushed away by Kelleher. It was close enough to Kelleher but he moved smartly across his line to get into position. Just over 20 minutes to go. Brilliant stuff from the goalkeepers at both ends to keep this This time Sadio Mane is played in by Salah and his high finish is saved by Mendy. Mane should have scored there.
Edouard Mendy somehow claws it away as Mohamed Salah tries to chip him from 30 yards out. Brilliant play from all involved. This game. Chelsea have started the second half really, really well. Liverpool a little stunned, which is understandable after that end to the first half. Please let the second half be as good as the first….
Christian Pulisic controls well and sends a lovely finish into the far top corner. Chelsea make it ! Two goals in a few minutes and the game has turned on its head.
What a first half. Mateo Kovacic scores a beauty to make it An amazing volley from outside the box and Stamford Bridge erupts. Boy did Chelsea need that just before half time. Game on! Two big chances for Liverpool and two goals. Two lovely gifts from Salah and Mane before they head off to the Africa Cup of Nations for the next few weeks.
Liverpool ruthless and Chelsea are stunned. Antonio Rudiger completed the defensive trio, with captain Cesar Azpilicueta moving forward into a wing-back role. Kai Havertz made his first start since the Premier League win over Leeds on 11 December, joining Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount in the front three, while Edouard Mendy continued in goal for the last time before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Liverpool made three changes to the team that lost at Leicester last time out, partly due to Alisson, Joel Matip and Roberto Firmino joining manager Jurgen Klopp in testing positive for Covid, meaning young goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher made his second Premier League appearance of the season. The game got off to a competitive start, as shown when Sadio Mane was shown a yellow card for an elbow on Cesar Azpilicueta in the opening 10 seconds of the match.
The Liverpool forward could even count himself a little lucky not to have received a more serious punishment, as replays showed him catching our skipper heavily in the face with a swinging elbow. Thankfully, things calmed down a little bit afterwards, and it was Chelsea who enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, keeping possession and finding space out wide, with Marcos Alonso in particular getting into some threatening positions on the left.
It seemed that the early pressure might be getting to some of the defenders, as both teams had good chances to open the scoring in quick succession early on. Chalobah got caught in two minds and tried to head a low cross clear on the edge of our box when he might have been better using his feet.
We tried to respond straightaway, as despite going behind we remained seemingly in control of the game, as Mason Mount had a low drive blocked by Virgil Van Dijk after being found at the near post by Azpilicueta, and then Alonso fired a spectacular volley wide after another cross by his fellow Spaniard dropped for him beyond the back post.
That second goal, plus a lengthy pause for a VAR check on an off-the-ball incident involving Mount and Konstantinos Tsimikas which came to nothing, seemed to unsettle the Chelsea players, resulting in Liverpool getting their first prolonged spell controlling possession in the match, to go with the better chances they had created so far. It felt like the match needed a big moment from Chelsea to spark things into life and get us back into contention before half-time, and boy did the Blues provide it.
Chalobah made a brilliant tackle to dispossess Salah as a third goal for the Reds looked like a possibility, and soon afterwards Kovacic pulled a goal back with a brilliant effort. It started with a threatening run down the right by Havertz, which was unceremoniously ended by an obvious foul from James Milner. Alonso drilled the resulting free-kick towards the near post and, when Kelleher punched clear to edge of the box, Kovacic volleyed a looping effort that evaded the goalkeeper and went in off the far post.
Rudiger did well to win the ball and set a rapid counter-attack in motion, as his clearance was flicked on by Kante to release Pulisic in behind, and our No10 took his time calmly to let the bouncing ball settle before sending a left-footed shot high past Kelleher.
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