As Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson and Chelsea’s Alisson wasted opportunity after opportunity, there was a “tear-up” between the two players.
With watchers perplexed as to how the Blues failed to score, the Reds followed up their subpar effort in a 4-1 loss away to Manchester City with another dull goalless draw at Stamford Bridge.
Many times, VAR prevented Chelsea from scoring against Liverpool, but there were also many other excellent opportunities that Chelsea let slip.
Late in one, Joao Felix of Chelsea had a bad clearance from Joel Matip and missed another opportunity by sending the ball over the bar while losing his balance.
Thankfully, talkSPORT announcers Sam Matterface and Stuart Pearce were able to describe the contentious exchanges that took place in the Liverpool box after the incident.
“Alisson and Henderson are now having a proper tear-up, a proper row in the penalty area away to our right,” Matterface said.
“Joel Matip is getting involved as well, Liverpool players are losing their heads with one another.”
England legend Pearce added: “It stems from Saturday, you can see the frustration there and on this occasion you’re looking at such a poor miss [from Felix].”
No ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ, no cohesion, no plan
At Chelsea, Liverpool put up their second comical display in as many days, but they still managed to keep a clean sheet and earn a point thanks to luck, Alisson Becker, and video assistant refereeing.
A wild looking lineup
Jurgen Klopp expressed his displeasure before the game regarding Man City’s performance and their thrashing, hinting that changes may, and perhaps should, be made.
“We must change, and we have opportunity to do so. We can’t simply shut our eyes and repeat the same action, Klopp told Sky Sports.
Because just two or three [players] have their spot pretty much secured, this condition also means that the door is wide open for everyone to join the team. That is one thing I’ve made sure the lads know.
Alisson, Konate, Fabinho, Henderson, and Jota were the five players to keep their spots from the mishap at the Etihad, while changes at full-back, center-back, midfield, and ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ saw forgotten names Kostas Tsimikas, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Bobby Firmino, and Curtis Jones, of all people, enter the lineup.
For a team that couldn’t hold a line a few days ago with regular faces in it, this new mixture was all over the place in the opening stages and could have been three down in ten minutes due solely to big gaps and no markers in place on simple through balls. The reaction required was presumably effort, energy, and a little bit more intent, but equally presumably, cohesion wasn’t expected of the group.
If the irregulars were given the opportunity to make a claim, success would need both individual effort and technical output, and few could actually raise their hands and claim to have passed the test in that area.
Underperformers on an already poor night
So where should we start? Well, there wasn’t one defensive unit, ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ. Even if it did slightly get better as the night went on in those respects, it was still all over the place.
However, Tsimikas was awful in both halves of the field, which was highlighted by the ꜰᴀᴄᴛ that he was one of the first players substituted barely after an hour had passed. On the other side, Gomez was at best ʜɪᴛ and miss.
In addition to making some last-ditch recoveries, both center backs were completely turned inside out and left runners in a sea of room. Up front, no midfielder demonstrated any kind of control, poise, calm on the ball, or defensive resilience.
After the first hour of the game, it was actually difficult to find any positives, and few players can honestly sᴀʏ that they successfully argued for a starting spot against Arsenal at Anfield.
Where’s the ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ gone?
Well, let’s put the topic of goals to one side for the time being. As there are such little gaps between finishing, winning, and generally looking like wasteful berks, it is ironic that we only scored one goal against City and lost handily, while Chelsea could and should have scored three goals here in ten minutes.
But what about randomness? unified ᴏꜰꜰᴇɴsɪᴠᴇ strategy? Have a ʀᴇᴀʟ strategy?
The concept of how to build up and the whole idea of having a side that criticizes a mere theory that others may subscribe to but has no bearing in red all seem to have vanished entirely.
The average non-watcher might have anticipated Liverpool to be, as they sᴀʏ, having a go in the closing stages of games given that we haven’t been winning games.
Not so.
Following the break, Jurgen and his unwise ᴍᴇɴ managed just one shot against Real in the second half, one against City after the break, and one here once more.
Despite the ꜰᴀᴄᴛ that the starting trio were mainly lifeless and unproductive, this cannot be seen as a criticism of the forwards; rather, it is a general critique of the team’s organizational structure.
Liverpool used to effectively press high; we no longer do so. The front three used to interact easily; now they don’t. We no longer have a set-piece ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛ. Our full-backs used to create with deep crosses and quick cutbacks; the starting each made one cross.
Dismal, desperate, ᴅɪsᴀsᴛʀᴏᴜs.
Bench boost
Changes are therefore one thing. Yet substitutes are still available, and it was widely debated how those who were brought on against Man City managed to make the team worse, if anything. The four players who were brought on in the huge roll of the dice had fewer than 30 touches combined in about 25 minutes.
This time, there were two double substitutions: Mo Salah and Andy Robertson came on first, followed by James Milner and Cody Gakpo, who were all brought on to replace the unfamiliar starters who had undoubtedly begun to feel the intensity of the game’s tempo.
Let’s sum up their combined efforts in one word: nothing.
After then, the focus shifts to Jürgen Klopp and his staff. Why aren’t the subs having an impact?
Is it due to a poor capacity to inspire or unclear tactical guidance? Is it a tacit admission from the players that they’ll inevitably return to the starting lineup, even after just one game of all-change?
The boss was furious with Henderson, Matip, later Mo, and virtually everyone else for not sticking to the task at hand for the whole of this game as he raged on the touchline. Problem is, nobody seems to be doing much of anything, so it’s unclear what the task at hand is right now, on or off the ball.
Onto Arsenal and is there anything left?
Liverpool will almost probably know by the end of the weekend if making the top four is still a possibility or just a pipe dream.
No points from City’s away game wasn’t a catastrophe, but one point from this game would be a missed opportunity given how awful Chelsea has also been and the ꜰᴀᴄᴛ that they don’t have a manager.
Yet, four points from City, Chelsea, and Arsenal would only be average, if not excellent. At this point, the season would be irrelevant if it were anything less.
The last few days have completely disproved Liverpool’s nebulous belief that they do better in the biggest games this season.
There must be a convincing victory versus Arsenal at home in order to maintain the façade that a complete makeover is not necessary.
Some people might think it would be better if that happened.
