Michael
Honors even in anfield deadlock as Kai Havertz has an early goal disallowed for the blues while mykhailo mudryk impresses on debut as equalizer hurts top four hopes rivals. This was Jurgen Klopp’s 1,000th game as a manager.
Liverpool’s goalless draw with Chelsea – only their second in 80 league meetings – was as unsurprising as it was disappointing as two struggling sides failed to rise to the occasion.
World champions versus Champions League finalists; or tenth vs. eighth. Both clubs are currently a shadow of their best selves.
On paper it should have been the typical top four block buster clash but in today’s reality, it felt more like the start of the Carabao Cup season. The respective injury crises at both clubs mean there were some stars, including new signings.
Nothing says mid-table mediocrity like the overwhelming silence that greeted the final whistle followed by a wave of polite applause. This was not one of the great meetings between these two clubs. The quality of the game had a clear feeling of tenth against eight. It certainly wasn’t like two of the elite teams in world soccer were going head to head.
Only the transfer fees attached to the players would have revealed to the game that these are two superpowers. Chelsea’s £89m signing Mykhailo Mudryk came up, nearly breaking through the Liverpool defense to score a dramatic opening goal in the 63rd minute and then almost conceding a deep cross in the 71st minute. . £40m Cody Gakpo maintains Liverpool’s forward line at present and £85m Darwin Nunez has been brought on to add support.
However, following a VAR check, the Chelsea striker was found to be offside and his goal was disallowed.
There were moments of little drama, most notably when Kai Havertz hit a shot in front of The Kop in the first minute and Chelsea celebrated with gusto and length. Only for Anfield to roar with schadenfreude when VAR finally ruled him out for offside after a long delay. It was the closest we got to a real emotion. And we would be cruelly deluding ourselves if we thought it was an auspicious omen.
There was Hakim Ziyech setting off on a maze-like run through goal on the hour, slipping past five players and then deflecting his shot over the crossbar. Or Naby Keita with a super ball to Mo Salah just before the break that left the Egyptian free and into space, Salah, with a goal in his last five, shot over the bar.
But mediocrity screamed two teams in transition. Whether it was a rare miss from Alisson conceding a corner or Carney Chukwuemeka tripping over his own feet in the box as he advanced, it was not a game to go down in history.
The visitors introduced big-money January signing Mykhailo Mudryk in the second half but, while he looked lively. The Ukrainian was unable to lift the Blues. The game ends in a draw, both sides earning a point that leave’s Liverpool eighth place in the table.
Match result: Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea
Next game: Liverpool travel to Brighton Sunday, 29 January 2023 FA CUP
