Revenge was in the air surrounding Anfield today before the match and when Emre Can’s shot deflected past Thibaut Courtois, it was thought that Liverpool might have their lucky days back. However, the moment Chelsea got the equalizer, there was only going to be one winner in Liverpool. As Brendan Rodgers tactics were questioned by Liverpool supporters as they booed his tactic involving Liverpool’s first substitution, Mourinho again played a master-class.
Here are the 5 things we learnt:-
Watch Premier League Highlights: Liverpool 1 – 2 Chelsea
Liverpool can’t defend:
Although Rodgers claimed that his defense isn’t as worse as people claim it to be, the end of the week suggested it was even worse than that. With Mignolet made the save of Chelsea header that eventually led to the goal, the Belgian hoped his defenders world slam it away. However, as the score-line at the end suggested, days of Sami Hyppia and Jamie Carragher seems ages away from the current Liverpool defense.
Mind the gap, Liverpool:
Although we didn’t witness the touch line celebration that Mourinho made last season, still this win was more important than the previous one at Anfield. Defeating Liverpool in this form isn’t a miracle, still 16 points gap from last season’s runners up with just 11 games into the new season shows the path Liverpool have adapted after Luis Suarez departure and Dnaiel Sturridge's injury.
Answer needs to come forth:
After struggling at Madrid with a team whom even a League one side might thought they have a chance to get something from, Brendan Rodgers needs to raise the bar for Chelsea game. However, as the final whistle suggested, only the stakes were raised and the bar of Liverpool game dropped even low. As a result come end of this day, they might find themselves at the opposite end of table if results go opposite their way,
Mario Balotelli is naïve:
When Mario Balotelli was dropped against Madrid in mid-week, it was thought that this would epitomize his hunger to turn his Liverpool career around. However, when he was substituted against Chelsea today, it became a writing on the wall that the striker is naïve, not only to the criticism, but also to the sharpness any good striker will show in-front of goal. Having been offside 5 times in total, he seems to be a boy stranded in grown-ups
Quantity over quality: Liverpool don’t seem to take advantage of the latter!
When Suarez departed for Barcelona in the summer, Rodgers envisaged his plan of replacing quality with quantity as he claimed not may in the budget of Liverpool football club would replace the 31 time goal scorer of last season. But today’s match epitomized a different picture. While Henderson and Balotelli was out of their grooves for the whole match, nothing forced Rodgers to change the game-plan as Liverpool’s 1st substitution came on the 68th minute before which, Chelsea had already scored a goal which proved to be the winner. So even though it wasn’t too little as Rodgers used his 3 substitutions quota, it was TOO LATE for the Northern Irishman.
Diego Costa is a beast: in good terms!
While you can agonize him, make him to fight with you and certainly infuriate him with nothing, you cannot stop the goal-scoring form of the Spanish forward. After engaging in fights the whole match with Martin Skrtel, his goal which proved to be the winner declared who really the winner was today at Anfield.
Amir Bashir follow him on Twitter.
drop balo for next bpl game and bring borini!
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