After midweek's loss to Real Madrid, Brendan Rodgers drew ire for his team selection against the reigning UEFA Champions League holders. Many could tell however that while the mostly reserve team served their side nobly, the Liverpool manager was looking forward to today's clash at Anfield with Premier League toppers Chelsea. There were several changes in the Starting XI from the Real Madrid contest, but just one (Emre Can for Joe Allen) from the side who lost in disappointing fashion to Newcastle last Saturday 1-0.
Liverpool almost scored seconds after the whistle as Can took a rip that would barely deflect past Thibaut Courtois. The back and forth action early on was a welcome change at the Reds had been criticized this season for starting slow after being such quick beginners a season ago.
The lone change in the lineup would make an even bigger impact on nine minutes. The German cranked an impressive effort on goal. It grazed John Terry and then Gary Cahill, leaving Courtois with no chance at making a save. It was a well deserved 1-0 after Liverpool remained patient with their passing and Can got his first Premier League goal in his third BPL start.
Cahill would make up for his "mistake" five minutes later as the Blues were able to bungle the ball past the line to equalize. Liverpool's trouble with set pieces continued as Diego Costa knicked it on to John Terry who got a good header at Simon Mignolet. The Belgian was up to the task on the initial effort and a subsequent poke. It looked as if he had also dealt with Gary Cahill's shoveling of the ball in, but the goal line replays disagreed (Mignolet saved the ball past the goal line) and Anthony Taylor awarded Chelsea the goal to make it 1-1.
Mario Balotelli thought he had put Liverpool ahead in the 19th minute. The Italian was played in after some fancy footwork from the Little Magician Philipe Coutinho but the ball in the back of the net was correctly disallowed for offside.
The first yellow card of the match should have been shown in the 23rd as Diego Costa barreled into the back of Martin Skrtel. The Spanish striker drove his elbow into the Slovakian defender's back who narrowly avoided a collision with his keeper. The testy center back needed to be whisked away from the offender and some how both avoided cautions.
After his first bit of brilliance was undone by the offside flag, Coutinho tried to do it all himself in the 26th minute. He was able to wriggle out of a gaggle of blue shirts with more uncanny ball control, but Courtois got down well to deny the Brazilian. Ivanovic professionally cleared the rebound away as Raheem Sterling looked to finish second time. The Liverpool midfield continued to push forward with more intensity, hoping that the best defense would be a better offense.
The game got a bit more chippy as Chelsea took hold of the momentum. In a span of two minutes, Eden Hazard was able to get two fairly clean efforts on goal. Liverpool were saved by an unlikely source on both occasions, Glen Johnson. The England right back has been much maligned in recent times for his poor decision making and marking but he was Johnny on the spot twice to deny Hazard's efforts to put the Blues ahead. The next block of a Chelsea shot would come from Alberto Moreno on Costa. There would be a shout for a penalty as Moreno brought his arm to the trunk of his body, but the appeals were waved off.
Hazard continued to be a pest in the Liverpool half but after Johnson saved the day his previous two times, Mignolet didn't need any help to deal with the shot in the 41st minute. Hazard was finding space all over the pitch and heaping the pressure on his fellow Belgium international.
The first yellow card of the game was shown to Liverpool, but under dubious circumstances. Both Ramires and Sterling were jostling for position, and the Reds midfielder was booked for blocking off the Brazilian. However, no action was taken on Ramires who hit the teenager in the mush with a flailing arm. There didn't seem to be any maliciousness behind it, Ramires would apologize as they headed into the tunnel, but it just seemed off that he was able to escape cautioning for an obvious offense. The two teams went to the interval deadlocked at a goal apiece.
The first half began with Chelsea evening the match's yellow card count. Branislav Ivanovic tried every dirty trick in the book to slow down Sterling, the other yellow card recipient, from shirt pulling to straight arm holding and was shown yellow for his troubles.
Chelsea almost went ahead five minutes into the second period. Another bit of skill by Hazard led to a dink of the ball into the box in the area of Diego Costa. The striker unleashed a vicious bicycle kick towards the Reds net but it flew over the crossbar. Costa emerged from the ground with his jersey ripped right between the numbers. It seems for now Martin Skrtel has left the bigger mark in the tussle between the two forces.
The next attempt at pushing ahead came from Liverpool. Raheem Sterling was able to cut inside from his home on the wing and get a shot off that forced a splendid save from Courtois. Chelsea broke off that save however and the ball was in striking distance in no time on the feet of, who else, Eden Hazard whose shot was courageously blocked by the Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard.
The first change of the contest came in the 54th minute from Chelsea as Jose Mourinho swapped Brazilians, Willian for Ramires. The latter didn't seem to have his feet under him from the start of the second half and talked with the trainer as he left the pitch.
About ten minutes later, there was an unnecessary brouhaha. Ivanovic went down from a challenge and was clenching at his back and ribs. Gary Cahill didn't play the ball into touch while his teammate was fallen but Chelsea were incensed when Liverpool got the ball and looked to play on. A few scuffles and shoves later and play resumed with everybody back on their feet.
Mario Balotelli was unjustly yellow carded at 65' but the game's physicality was getting into Liverpool's heads. Though they didn't score off the subsequent free kick, Chelsea would nudge ahead two minutes later. Cesar Azpilicueta latched onto a Willian ball and the fullback made his way past Coutinho. Mignolet got a touch on the cross but Costa was able to slam it home to make it 2-1 to the visitors.
After the goal, Brendan Rodgers made two head scratching changes. After Matic received the Chelsea's second team yellow, the Reds boss sent out Joe Allen and Fabio Borini. The puzzling nature of the change is that they replaced Philipe Coutinho and Emre Can, arguably the best performers for the home side all day. I personally thought Mario Balotelli would have been one of the players to come off, being on a yellow card and being poor yet again in attack.
Jordan Henderson had his best chance of the match to bring his team level at 75'. The midfielder unleashed a volley from a flick by Borini off a Joe Allen cross. The ball was valiantly defended by Nemanja Matic for Chelsea and the succeeding corner bore no fruit.
Liverpool used their last change of the match with just over ten minutes left in the match. Mario Balotelli left the pitch to a seemingly sarcastic smattering of cheers as Rickie Lambert entered the fray. I still can't get my head around why it took Rodgers so long to remove the underwhelming Italian from a game where he couldn't keep himself onside and when the ball wasn't within ten feet from him looked disinterested.
The last ten minutes saw a flurry of yellows for the visiting Blues. Oscar got the first, just after Sterling could have been dealt his second yellow. Costa got the second after a wild challenge on Glen Johnson. It was one that wasn't given that was the death knell for Liverpool. Steven Gerrard found space and was able to uncurl a shot towards the Chelsea goal. It wasn't the arm of Thibaut Courtois that stopped the shot though, it was Gary Cahill's. The referee would have none of the pleas for a penalty and it was play on. It was made even more disappointing by commentators immediately calling for a PK and replays confirming that.
The 2-1 defeat was a heartbreaking one as Can's first goal for the club early didn't hold up and a late penalty shout that should have been given was unjustly denied. Daniel Sturridge's absence, he is scheduled to return after the international break against Crystal Palace, still stings as Balotelli once again floundered up top by his lonesome. Rodgers' drastic team rotation didn't produce any results as he put his side in a whole in Europe only to not get a single point out of today. The schedule after the break softens substantially but even with lesser competition it is going to take some changes in philosophy from the Liverpool manager for this team to salvage the season.
GOALS- Liverpool: Can (9'), Chelsea: Cahill (14'), Costa (67')
LIVERPOOL MAN OF THE MATCH- Philipe Coutinho
Image Credits: Liverpool v. Chelsea (