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Liverpool show spirit but Chelsea charge further towards title

Chelsea desperately need a striker for the upcoming season. (Nazionale Calcio / Flickr)
Roar Pro
1st February, 2017
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Wednesday’s clash between Liverpool and Chelsea was justifiably billed as the most vital game of the Premier League title race thus far.

After Gini Wijnaldum’s neat second-half header cancelled out David Luiz’s pinpoint free kick, Diego Costa had the chance to steal all three points from the spot.

But, he was denied by a strong Simon Mignolet right hand.

At times, draws in such clashes result in more questions than answers. Yet this was not the case today.

While both teams will likely leave disappointed with the result, their performances will provide encouragement for both managers.

Liverpool gave everything from start to finish. Jurgen Klopp naturally demands no less, and his side’s trademark ‘Gegenpressing’ was on show from the beginning. This made for 15 initial minutes of beautiful madness, with Chelsea’s technically gifted backline countering Liverpool’s manic pressing, typically led by Adam Lallana, with passages of slick passing.

Clubs often espouse a particular style or identity that should be associated with the team on the pitch; ‘the Liverpool way’, in this case. The general belief is that a traditional Liverpool side should take control of the game and attack for the three points – and nothing less – until the last kick of the match.

With 62% possession and continued waves of attack, Liverpool unquestionably did so today. After a January to forget, this will please all associated with the club, not least Klopp.

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Such desire is only illustrated when players have an unerring confidence in their martial. Any faint (and I mean faint) rustlings over Klopp – somewhat understandably initiated by three consecutive home defeats – must be completely silenced by this Liverpool effort.

On the contrary, it was clear by the end of the game that Chelsea was happier with a point. It seems strange to applaud such a performance, to the extent that this showing has steeled them to go on and become Premier League champions. Yet that must now be the common consensus.

Eden Hazard drifted around the periphery of the game. Costa produced explosive moments of strength and skill, but was not at his best.

Yet the rest of the Chelsea team performed as champions do. The backline was almost disconcertingly imperious.

Aside from one moment that led to Wijnaldum’s equaliser, they enacted 90 minutes of textbook defending taken straight from a Conte-directed Italian footballing symphony.

At one point in the second half, Philippe Coutinho received the ball ten yards outside the Chelsea penalty box. Turning and attempting to edge into an ever-elusive pocket of space, he was immediately confronted by a rampaging Luiz.

In this moment alone we saw both the current personal confidence of the outstanding Luiz, along with his faith in the Chelsea system. His performance was fueled by a telepathic awareness that if he were to miss the ball, either Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill or the utterly indefatigable N’Golo Kanté would be there to sweep up.

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Winning teams are built on such understandings.

Chelsea is now nine points ahead of Tottenham, who stumbled to a 0-0 draw against Sunderland on the same day. Conte’s men are plain and simply the best team in the Premier League at the moment.

With no European commitments or cracks appearing in their performances, it is near impossible to say that they will not be champions come May.

The reaction of both managers gives an insight into the lessons learnt for Liverpool and Chelsea. Klopp remained unerringly positive, encouraging “this wonderful, powerful club to keep its nerves” after an improved performance.

Meanwhile, Conte was effervescent after the game, celebrating enthusiastically with the travelling Chelsea supporters. How often do we see managers celebrate a drawn game with such conviction?

Perhaps only when they know that they’ve taken a final crucial step towards an EPL title.

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