Chelsea vs Liverpool: Comedy show underlines scale of rebuild required at both clubs

It’s exceptional to assume that, simply months in the past, Chelsea and Liverpool provided a home cup last of a top quality befitting their standing as two of one of the best sides on the earth. By distinction, the one motive you couldn’t say this 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge was one of the worst video games of the season was that it was so entertaining for all of the improper causes. It was typically hilarious.

It was additionally like one thing out of a special period, which is exactly why both of these clubs are having such severe discussions about what comes subsequent. It was additionally precisely why this was, if you strip all of it away, a mere mid-table match with so little to play for. There was so little play at all.

Far from the elite soccer of 2022, this sport in April 2023 was like one thing out of the Seventies: thrown collectively; exit and luxuriate in yourselves. It was solely these searching for a bit of fun who did the latter. Whereas the best fashionable sides are supremely drilled in probably the most refined tactical buildings, this was as an alternative two XIs that had by no means performed collectively earlier than, one of them below a stand-in supervisor who had by no means picked a crew earlier than. Bruno Saltor at least did himself credit score with a first-ever profession level, and a efficiency when his Chelsea aspect had been the higher crew, even when that’s all relative.

It was tough to know what Jurgen Klopp was pondering, aside from that this beginning line-up was one of those who was so drastic as a result of it was a determined try to get a response out of his crew. All of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold had been dropped, with Virgin van Dijk ailing.

It was maybe no shock that Liverpool didn’t even appear to be they might press any extra, though that has not been unique to this match.

In this thoughts, they didn’t appear to be they might do a lot of something, significantly go the ball to teammates or end.

Far from the standard that elevated this fixture final season, this assembly was characterised by comedy. There had been so many moments bordering on soccer slapstick. In one passage, Kepa Arrizabalaga badly misplaced a go out, Jordan Henderson tried a wild effort, and the ball ended up hitting the again of Enzo Fernandez’s head as he ran ahead. Curtis Jones simply fell over shortly afterwards, with Kostas Tsimikas failing to even hit the primary man from a nook.

If that introduced mocking laughter from the gang, it wasn’t a sense shared on the pitch.

Joel Matip and Jordan Henderson had a heated dialogue within the break to permit Muslim gamers to interrupt their quick for Ramadan, with Klopp additionally roaring at his gamers. The dispute between centre-half and captain continued into play, with Henderson furiously stamping his toes after one dangerous Matip go.

Later, the Reds’ skipper and his goalkeeper Alisson additionally shared fierce phrases, because the errors saved on coming.

As if to sum all this up, probably the most artistic gamers for both aspect typically appeared these within the opposition. Some of the higher alternatives got here from mishaps and errors, Tsimikas twice setting Chelsea up for 2 early probabilities.

It was simply completely consistent with the sport, nonetheless, that neither aspect might end in any approach competently. There had been so many exceptional efforts, gamers conspiring to clear the aim by good distances when not that distant. Among the worst was Mateo Kovacic, in any other case so measured in midfield, who badly skied a ball when put straight by way of. This was why Tsimikas’s errors weren’t that expensive. Even when a participant had the ball within the internet, Kai Havertz having acquired clear of Tsimikas, the end was straight at Alisson just for the ball to bounce off the German and again in.

A sport as dangerous as this, nonetheless, ensured the ball of course hit his hand. It was dominated out. The one factor that might be stated is that such moments had been at least reflections that Chelsea appeared to have extra construction and chew than Liverpool on this sport. Their crew at least appeared to make a bit extra sense, aside from the whole lack of a striker. That is maybe inevitable, thoughts, when Klopp went for a beginning XI as drastic as this.

Salah and Robertson finally got here on, though the left-back’s first contribution was to play the ball straight to Enzo Fernandez. The Argentine did look a lot better than not too long ago, nearer to the category we noticed at the World Cup. It’s in all probability not a coincidence that got here with N’Golo Kante beside him. Joao Felix in the meantime continued to show he’s so good at nearly every part on the pitch… besides scoring, which is all too typical of this Chelsea. When the ball broke for him late on, he smashed it excessive into the stand.

Still, Saltor had a creditable first level. Everyone else watching had a bit of fun.