A massive test for Chelsea today, away to league-leaders Liverpool at Anfield. Playing against one of the league’s best is always a litmus test of your own team.
With two of the usual starters suspended, Enzo Maresca has opted to give league starts to Tosin Adarabioyo ... AND REECE JAMES!? Well alright then. Malo Gusto switches to the left flank. And we also get Roméo Lavia instead of Enzo Fernández. Interesting.
Here we go!
Liverpool starting XI:Kelleher | Van Dijk, Konaté, Szoboszlai, Salah, Jones, Gakpo, Jota, Robertson, Gravenberch, Alexander-Arnold
Substitutes from: Jaros, Gomez, Endo, Diaz, Nunez, Mac Allister, Tsimikas, Quansah, Morton
Chelsea starting lineup (4-2-3-1):Sánchez | Gusto, Colwill, Tosin, James (c) | Caicedo, Lavia | Sancho, Palmer, Madueke | Jackson
Substitutes from: Bettinelli, Disasi, Badiashile, Veiga, Dewsbury-Hall, Enzo, Neto, Félix, Nkunku
Date / Time: Sunday, October 20, 2024, 16.30 BST; 11:30am EDT; 9pm ISTVenue: Anfield, LiverpoolReferee: John Brooks (on pitch); Michael Oliver (VAR)
Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes!
The sight of Diogo Jota limping off is a big blow for Liverpool, especially with the run of games coming up.
Darwin Nunez in desperate need of a big performance to give his season a lift.
This contest has come alive.
Liverpool were fuming that their earlier penalty appeals after Salah went down were ignored but Brooks had no doubts about that one after a rash challenge from Colwill on Jones.
Salah tucked it away and Slot used the break in play before the restart to get some orders across to Szoboszlai.
32' Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea
Moments after Liverpool take the lead, they have it in the net again... but it's offside.
A poor kick from Robert Sanchez, who's mixed the sublime with the ridiculous today, gives the ball away and Liverpool break.
It's slid down the right to Mo Salah, who pushes it across the box for Cody Gakpo to tap in at the back post.
But linesman Darren Cann, now the Premier League's most experienced official of all time, puts his flag up, and is correct. Gakpo was on, but Salah was off from the original pass. Good call, Darren.
30' Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea
On the half hour, poor Diogo Jota limps off after that goal. Darwin Nunez replaces him up front.
The commentators made the point that the referee John Brooks was under pressure to give the penalty after rejecting the Salah-Colwill penalty call moments earlier.
Not 100 per cent sure I agree with that - there's always pressure at Anfield with the raucous home fans screaming for everything - but I do think Salah could have been booked for going down.
He wasn't trying to dribble or shoot, only waiting for Colwill to approach, then sliding his right leg across him unnaturally to force the contact. The kind of thing that often gets given here, though.
No mistake from Salah!
Nicolas Jackson went into the box to delay the kick and try to put pressure on Salah, for which he was rightly booked. Robert Sanchez was off his line too for a bit.
But Salah doesn't feel the pressure. Pressure is for tyres!
He wallops it in left-footed and sends Robert Sanchez the wrong way.
27' Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea
Moments after Levi Colwill could have given away a penalty on Mo Salah - Reds boss Arne Slot was booked for complaining about not getting it, by the way - Levi Colwill tries to kick the ball away but instead catches Curtis Jones.
That is a penalty! Mo Salah to take...
More end-to-end action! Loads happening now.
Reece James dribbles out of defence, is robbed by Diogo Jota, who is one-on-one with Tosin... but John Brooks blows for a soft 'foul' from Cody Gakpo on James. Not a foul for me and the Anfield crowd make their displeasure known.
Chelsea attack, Madueke beats Robertson again - has him on toast - and Curtis Jones does really well to block Cole Palmer twice.
Then it's played forward, Mo Salah goes down under a Levi Colwill tackle, but it looked soft. Replays show Salah stepped across him. No foul, right decision.
23' Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea
Halfway through the first half and Ryan Gravenberch has just pulled off his trademark move, dropping a shoulder in midfield, allowing the ball across him and accelerating away.
Read more about The Gravenberch Turn with The Athletic's piece by Gregg Evans below!
GO FURTHER
The Gravenberch Turn – Liverpool’s midfield escape clause
Arne Slot is clearly not happy with how easily Chelsea are playing through Liverpool at times.
He's trying to get some instructions across to his players.
17' Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea
With all that talk of Romeo Lavia being more defensively solid than Enzo Fernandez (which I think is a fair point, by the way), people might forget that he's a good ball player and not just a defensive destroyer.
With Robert Sanchez to the side of his goal after a pass to James, the ball coming to him rapidly and Liverpool players hounding him at his back, he controlled it well, held off his marker, turned, and pinged a progressive pass forwards to set up an attacking move.
Good player. There's a reason Liverpool wanted him too!
Playing Malo Gusto at left-back is helping to negate Liverpool’s dangerous right flank so far. He just won the ball off Mo Salah well.
But it is limiting him in attack.
There have been a couple of times where he has used his weaker left foot in the final third and a chance to create something has been wasted.
Not really sure why. Because of his former association with Manchester City? Because he's good? Anyway.
Noni Madueke with a nice piece of skill to scoot around the outside of a sluggish-looking Andy Robertson, he gets to the byline and lays it back to Moises Caicedo, who stands it up invitingly to the back post...
Headed away. Decent opening. Commentator Gary Neville suggests Robertson looks a little off the pace, which I wouldn't argue with.
12' Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea
Wow. Big Robert Sanchez in goal sends an absolute howitzer of a long ball 90 yards or so down the left to the galloping Jadon Sancho.
Unbelievable pass. Sancho keeps it in, lays it back to Malo Gusto... but there's way too much juice on the cross and it sails out play to jeers from the Anfield faithful.
10' Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea
A testing ball for Reece James to deal with, pumped long but accurately down the left channel by Virgil van Dijk in search of Cody Gakpo.
James holds the Dutchman off strongly, then turns back into midfield rather than pass back to his goalkeeper.
Solid and positive.
Interesting seeing Cody Gakpo a little more narrow when Liverpool are out of possession.
A clear tactic to stop those balls reaching danger man Cole Palmer with ease, when Chelsea build out from the back.
Bright start from Liverpool.
Not afraid to go direct at times and Tosin fortunate to get away with a yellow for cynically bringing down Jota, who would have been away.
Darwin Nunez is sent out to warm up, but it looks like Jota will be okay to continue.
The difference between that red card incident and the one at Bournemouth vs Arsenal on Saturday was Levi Colwill was much closer to cover.
The challenge itself by Tosin was an action replay and rather foolish to say the least.
7' Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea
Now THAT is interesting. Gravenberch with a nice tackle inside his own penalty area, Mo Salah bangs it forward long to the scampering Diogo Jota.
Around the halfway line, Jota looks to have the run on Tosin - who has looked nervy so far - and the former Fulham centre-half panics and brings him down.
Jota is down in pain, though admittedly it didn't help that he also gave Tosin a tug and rather pulled him down on top of him (it was still a foul and deserved yellow).
A yellow card shown by John Brooks. Not a red because centre-back partner Levi Colwill was in very close attendance. He'll still be walking a tightrope from now on, though...
