First thing's first. Apparently, I'm a terrible Liverpool fan. I swore this game was going to be on Saturday, so I missed much of the first half. Shame on me.
Anyway, what a performance in the end. Liverpool came out and took advantage of a Chelsea squad that seemed to be put on their heels right away.
The Reds got things off to a cracking start with an early goal. Liverpool managed to keep the Chelsea attack quiet in the first ten minutes or so and then set off to find their own tally. It was not long after they found it.
In the 17th minute, the Liverpool attack began on the left hand side, something that would become almost a theme. Peeling back from the corner, Coutinho received the ball and sent a pinpoint cross to the back side.
Astoundingly, the Chelsea defense had left at least three red kits alone on the back step and Liverpool took advantage. Dejan Lovren had taken a step back onside just before the kick and then neatly tucked away the chance. All he had to do was take the beautiful cross and then slip it just to the right of Thibaut Courtois for the lead.
The interesting thing was the lack of push back from the Blues. They trodded up field now and then, forcing the odd corner kick or set piece. However, they had almost no real threat on goal in the first half, let alone after the initial Liverpool goal was taken.
The Reds took full advantage of the lackluster play by their rivals and put another one in. Again building up from the left hand side, the Reds pushed down toward the corner. This time Chelsea captured control but failed to make a good clearance.
Jordan Henderson picked up the errant ball and scored one of the best goals you'll see all year. Taking it from about 25 yards out, the captain put a right foot through the ball and could not have placed it any better if he threw it.
The shot hurled up into the air and bent back down with the perfect amount of curl. Courtois made a valiant effort to stop it, but no goalkeeper was going to get it as it went into the upper 90 to make it 2-0 to Liverpool.
The Reds finished out the first half and took the lead into the break. They had played about as well as anyone could hope and it was all about seeing it out from then on.
Chelsea did eventually mount a comeback. However, the lone goal did not come until the 61st minute. They had a bit more possession, but still managed little in the attack for the first five minutes or so. That wasn't to last forever though.
Who else but Diego Costa ended up putting one in for Chelsea. In the end, the defending by Liverpool wasn't the best but there wasn't too much they could do about the finish.
Matic got on the end of a ball in the box and took it endline. Joel Matip pulled up from his slide, worrying he was going to create a penalty. Other players blindly slid around attempting to thwart the cross, but Matic got it to Costa who just bumped it in.
It was game on from there. Costa almost had the equalizer in the 65th minute. The Chelsea striker spun and fired one on goal. It forced a good save from Simon Mignolet to keep it out.
The goal put the nerves into the Reds, and definitely their fans, for the final half hour. Fortunately, the team did not let on. They went back to work.
Although they would not find paydirt the rest of the match, they still created. Case in point was Divock Origi. The Belgian, who came on for Daniel Sturridge, lept up and thought he had the head ball goal for sure in the 81st. Courtois showed why he is still considered one of the best keepers in the world by turning it away.
Antonio Conte, the first year Chelsea manager, waited until the 84th minute to make massive changes. It was too little, too late. The Reds saw out the finish and earned a hard won three points.
The win puts Liverpool, at least temporarily, tied for second spot on points and in fourth place on goal differential. It's far too early to put the Reds in the discussion for top four spots right now, but Jurgen Klopp has them playing like a team that will be there at the end.
The win provides Klopp his second win in a row at Stamford Bridge. Arsene Wenger is the only other manager to do that in his first two matches at Chelsea.
What benefits Liverpool right now, is what benefited Brendan Rodgers' squad that finished in second place. Liverpool have no European matches to take their focus away from the league. We've seen it help the Reds and it helped Leicester win the league last season.
The likelihood of Liverpool taking the league is slim. They are just too vulnerable defensively. However, if they keep up their current form and clean up their bad results against lower level teams, we could be seeing more European nights come next season.
Random Thoughts:
- For the love of all that is holy, can we please avoid another Sturridge injury? I know I can't be alone in worrying that it is more than just a precautionary move to take him out so early. Not even an hour in and he has to come off. He did not have his customary disgruntled look either, which means he knew he needed off. Only bad can come of that.
- A win against Chelsea should and is reward enough. It is made all the sweeter by the fact that the ESPN FC crew were so certain that Chelsea would take the game handily. I know they are paid to give opinions and I have been in that spot before too. When they go against your team so easily though, it's nice to have that little extra satisfaction of the broadcasters eating their words.
- LFC will have a good opportunity to rid themselves of this bad habit of allowing minnows to take down the big fish. They face Derby County midweek in the League Cup and then Hull at the weekend. Two wins should be expected as these men need to start playing like they're at the top of the league when they play those further down.
Walk On
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