LIVERPOOL, England – Forget the 1-1 result, which suggests Liverpool and Chelsea fell two points in the early stages of their marathon in search of Premier League glory, and overlook the failure of any of both and winning the victory have brought the winner to the top of the standings.
If Saturday’s clash at Anfield told us anything, it was that these two teams have the quality, experience and durability to sustain a title challenge. Those 90 minutes encapsulated the next nine months, with both sides piloting the ups and downs and coming out without bowing at the end.
On a day when Manchester City defeated Arsenal and, with the clash that Manchester United signed again, Cristiano Ronaldo was still reverberating, Liverpool and Chelsea showed why they are also preparing for what they could. be a titanic showdown, with this game only adding to the perception that it will be hard to beat from now until May.
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There is a tendency in the modern game to equate wins with the highest score to the championship credential or to measure a team’s ability for their relentless ability to win as if it were a matter of routine.
Sometimes, however, a more certain quality meter only becomes apparent in the face of a challenge from an opponent of similar status; when Liverpool and Chelsea left the pitch after an absorbing draw, both had taken the best of what the other could offer and stood firm.
That Chelsea were able to come away with a draw after being reduced to 10 men in the 45th minute: defender Reece James was sent off by referee Anthony Taylor after a VAR review that highlighted the handball of the goal line and caused a penalty kick by Mohamed Salah – underlined the strength of Thomas Tuchel’s team.
And while some will cite Liverpool’s failure to take advantage of winning as proof of something missing alongside Jurgen Klopp, the truth is that the hosts, who lost Roberto Firmino to a first-half injury , threw it all to the Champions League winners. , only to find the set of experienced Chelsea defenders who produce a master class to maintain form and concentration.
Liverpool, however, will see the tie as a missed opportunity as Klopp’s side failed to score against a Chelsea who operated with five behind for most of the second half and had Romelu Lukaku isolated as a lone striker chasing lost causes. Inter’s £ 115m signing had just 13 touches after half-time, and none were close to Liverpool’s penalty area.
But against most other opponents, Liverpool would have scored four or five. Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Andy Robertson came close, but Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy frustrated the locals with several unconventional stops.
In addition, teenager Harvey Elliott was cheered for Klopp’s team, Trent Alexander-Arnold a threat with delivery on the right and Salah a thorn next to his former club. There was no victory, so the search for deficiencies is inevitable, but the manager was not too worried.
“Everything was nice apart from the result,” Klopp said. “I saw two very good football teams. It was a fantastic first half and, in fact, a good second, because it’s very complicated when you play against nine defenders and you have to create and create.
“Could we have gone better? Yes,” he continued. “But it’s early in the season. Surely we should have taken more advantage. We have one more point than before, so we continue.”
Tuchel has transformed Chelsea since replacing sacked Frank Lampard in January and his impact was evident as the London club stood firm with 10 men, although a tactical plan is ultimately only as good as the players who put it into practice.
As such, the half-time introduction of Thiago Silva and Mateo Kovacic, two experienced top performers, alongside Marcos Alonso, Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Jorginho, gave Chelsea a formidable core that turned off space and left Liverpool crashing into a blue wall.
“We decided to stay in a five behind,” Tuchel said. “We wanted to stay active and make it difficult to create opportunities. The first ten minutes seemed endless. The last five minutes, really, I was praying that we got what we deserved. It was hard and tough, but a very strong second half defensively. .
“We are competitive and we want to stay competitive,” he continued. “I think our fans loved what they saw and in the end it was a deserved result and with that we can absolutely live.”
Experienced players, who know their jobs and have the security that comes from previous success, can facilitate the work of a coach and Tuchel had little to do in the second period, apart from seeing how his men they followed the instructions to the letter.
Another day, after advancing with head coach Kai Havertz, Chelsea would have considered this draw a failure in the potentially crucial victory, but their performance against it was as good as a victory for the of Tuchel.
Perhaps the last few seasons, in which Man City and Liverpool won titles after seemingly endless winning races, have altered the way we judge potential champions. This season is likely to be different, and Liverpool and Chelsea are proving why.