Reporter Park Moon-soo = The first match between Liverpool and Chelsea this season was a 0-0 draw. The two teams had to settle for one point after going winless in their last three matches in the Premier League. We aimed for 3 points with each other, but it was frustrating.
Liverpool drew 0-0 in the home game against Chelsea in the 2022/23 season Premier League Round 21 held at Anfield on the afternoon of the 21st (Korean time).
In the first half, both teams continued their boring defense. In the second half, Liverpool came to life a little, but Chelsea also put strength in the attack with Moudrik. The close battle continued until the end of the game, but the expected celebration did not come out.
The home team, Liverpool, came out with a 4-3-3 formation. Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott stepped up as three tops, while Thiago Alcantara, Nabi Keita and set-pan Bayesetic matched the midfield. James Milner, Joe Gomez, Ibrahim Konate and Andrew Robertson in the back four, Alisson Becker in goal.
The visiting team, Chelsea, faced off with a 4-2-3-1. With Havertz deployed up front, Mason Mount, Connor Gallagher and Hakim Ziyech were deployed in the second line. Jorginho and Louis Hall at the waist, Trevor Chalova, Benoit Badiacil, Chiago Silva and Marc Cucurella in the back four, and Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal.
Early in the first half Chelsea had a good chance. After a corner kick in the 3rd minute of the first half, Havertz shook Liverpool’s net in a scuffle before the goal. Silva’s shot led to a second ball opportunity, and Havertz pushed it. However, after a VAR review, offside was declared and the goal was disallowed. It was because Havertz’ position was ahead of Liverpool’s final defense in the Silva shooting situation.
Liverpool also had a chance. In the 6th minute of the first half, Gakpo, who received the ball in front of the gate, tried to shoot, but it missed the goal. Even in the 20th minute of the first half, Gakpo took a chance, but the zero point was not captured.
Chelsea had a chance in the 21st minute. Hall received the ball through Havertz and Mount. He attempted a shot from the left side of the goal, but it missed the target. In the 24th minute of the first half, Gallagher attempted a shot but was blocked by Alisson. Chelsea had another good chance in the 32nd minute of the first half. In a set-piece situation, Bada Asil, who was in front of the goal, attempted to shoot the ball from the left side. Alisson missed the opportunity to score the first goal by knocking the ball out of reverse action.
A boring battle continued until the end of the first half. Chelsea had a slight advantage, but overall they were loose. There was no quick and sharp attack development like before. Both teams were disappointing in terms of offensive and defensive balance. It was a game that was clearly different from the league’s leading teams.
Early in the second half, Liverpool began to increase the intensity of the pressure. In the first minute of the second half, defender Konate, who saw goalkeeper Kepa come out near the half-line, tried a long-range shot, but it missed the goal. In the 4th minute of the second half, Keita connected the second ball with a left-footed shot, but it was blocked. In the 5th minute of the second half, Gakpo attempted a header shot, but even this went over the goal.
In the 10th minute of the second half, Chelsea changed their attack by replacing Hall with freshman Moudrik. Instead, Gallagher moved to midfield. In the 18th minute of the second half, Liverpool replaced Keita with Nunez to strengthen the front. As Núñez moved up, Gapi moved out wide and Elliott moved into midfield.
In the 19th minute of the second half, Chelsea had a good chance. Substitute Moudrik broke the Liverpool defense in front of the goal and attempted a left-footed shot, but it missed the goal. It was a scene that stood out for Moudrik’s precise dribbling with both feet and the subsequent change of direction.
In the 21st minute of the second half, he quickly broke through the dribble and broke the Liverpool defense in an instant. In the process, veteran Milner was booked for committing a foul. In the 26th minute of the second half, Ziyech tried to trap the ball from the left flank and then shoot, but the finish was disappointing. 메이저놀이터
Liverpool had a chance in the 31st minute of the second half. In a counterattack situation, Núñez used his quick feet to break through Thiago’s pass and try to shoot, but it was canceled.
At the end of the second half, a variable occurred in Chelsea. Defender Chalova was substituted out after complaining of an injury. He tried to improve his offensive power, but it was hampered by an injury in the defense. As urgent, Chaloba’s seat was filled by Aspilicueta. The mount position changed with the addition of Chupa Mecca. Liverpool also replaced midfielders with Curtis Jones, Fabinho and Henderson.
Both teams pulled the reins on offense until extra time in the second half. In the 2nd minute of added time, Chelsea had a chance with Moudrik at the fore, but it was blocked by Robertson Hosby. Liverpool launched a counter-attack, aiming for space behind Chelsea, but this time too, the finish was disappointing.