Chelsea vs Liverpool. Premier League.
Stamford BridgeAttendance40,093.
Match report and free match highlights as Liverpool claim draw at Stamford Bridge in Chelsea's first game since Graham Potter's sacking; Reece James and Kai Havertz had goals disallowed, while hosts missed a number of other opportunities; Chelsea remain 11th, while Liverpool are eighth
Wednesday 5 April 2023 11:43, UK
Chelsea were once again let down by their wayward finishing in their first game since Graham Potter's sacking as Liverpool hung onto a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.
The head coach was dismissed on Sunday night after the 2-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa, with Bruno Saltor - who admitted before the visit of Jurgen Klopp's side that he had never even picked a team before - replacing Potter on an interim basis.
But it was a case of the new boss being the same as the old one for Chelsea, who showed the same failings in front of goal that hamstrung Potter's regime.
The hosts had two goals correctly disallowed either side of half-time and missed the target with a number of other presentable opportunities on their way to a draw that leaves them in the bottom of half of the table, while Liverpool are eighth.
Chelsea have now built up an expected goals total of 4.28 and had 39 shots over their last two games, yet somehow conspired to take one point and score zero goals across those 180 minutes.
The Blues’ woeful finishing prevented Potter’s reign from ever getting off the ground and the theme continued under Bruno, who took charge of his first professional game after previously spending the entirety of his four-year coaching career under Potter.
Despite the turmoil surrounding Stamford Bridge, Chelsea did start the game well, with Joao Felix and Mateo Kovacic being denied by desperate Liverpool defending, although both should have taken their chances to strike at goal sooner.
Alisson then denied Kai Havertz at close range before Reece James saw a crisp volley ruled out for a marginal offside against Enzo Fernandez in the build up.
Kepa Arrizabalaga enjoyed a quiet evening as Liverpool’s miserable away record showed no signs of ending, although he was called into action to push away Joe Gomez’s powerful effort just before half-time.
The second half began in a similar vein to the first, with Kovacic again spurning a glorious chance before Havertz had a weak shot saved by Alisson, before seeing the rebound trickle into the net off his arm, with VAR cutting short Chelsea’s celebrations.
Chelsea seemed to lose belief that they would ever score a legitimate goal after that latest failure, with the second half meandering to a conclusion in front of a subdued set of supporters, both sets of which are used to witnessing games involving higher stakes and higher quality than this.
Klopp admitted after the game that it paled in comparison to the FA Cup and Carabao Cup finals between Liverpool and Chelsea last season (which his side won on penalties after 0-0 draws in both instances) but believed it was a "step in the right direction".
"This was not the most spectacular 0-0 I ever saw," Klopp said. "I saw two of them last year between Liverpool and Chelsea in the two finals - it was absolutely insane.
"Very similar teams tonight but completely different football, because of a completely different level of confidence for both teams.
"This was the way we had to fight again, the way we have to start again our development. A little step in the right direction."
Liverpool's campaign does not get any easier, with league leaders Arsenal next up on Sunday at Anfield, live on Sky Sports, as Klopp's side bid to close the seven-point gap on the top four.
"If we are not fourth, then we want to be fifth," said Klopp, before conceding: "At the moment I don’t even know where we are - it’s not interesting.
"We have another 10 games to play and the next one is Arsenal - I’m not interested in the other nine. If we are difficult to beat against Arsenal we can win this game. If not, Arsenal will just go over us."
Speaking to Sky Sports after Liverpool claimed a draw at Chelsea - despite recording an expected goals total of just 0.35 compared to their host’s 2.12 - Jamie Carragher said he was “fascinated” by Jurgen Klopp’s insistence on continuing to deploy the same tactics.
“Liverpool still play the same way,” said the former Reds defender. “The same idea is there but they cannot do it.
“It just fascinates me. If you are a manager, do you always stick to your same idea, your principles, or do you adapt them with how your players are?
“Klopp is a great manager but even tonight Liverpool are trying to play like the Liverpool of three years ago. They have got a 0-0 out of it - you are scratching your head how.
“The big thing is how easy it is for the opposition to get chances - that is the worry for me.
“Klopp is not taking a backward step. They have tried different things, gone 4-4-2 on occasion, at times they have dropped off slightly. But he is not going to change completely. He does what he does.
“But right now they do not have the players to do it and if he keeps doing it, they are just going to leave themselves open because they are basically playing man for man all over the pitch.
“Whether that is because the same players have been doing it for three or four years and they need new players… I don’t know if there is anything more to it than that.
“They just need to attack the transfer market and get back to having those players in the team so they can then implement Klopp’s idea.”
Bruno acknowledged Chelsea's need to develop a cutting edge in front of goal but praised his players' application against Liverpool amid trying circumstances.
"It’s the execution in front of the goal," said the interim boss when asked why his side were unable to score. "They are human beings and the confidence has to be there.
"We just need to keep helping the boys. They’ve been through a lot, as well - it’s been a tough season for them. I know they missed chances but what they could affect the most was the attitude and the effort, which was there.
"They score a lot of goals in training. But coming into a game is completely different. It’s something we have been working on but we need to keep going."
Bruno admitted he struggled to embrace his first professional game as a head coach amid the departure of Potter and his No 2, Billy Reid, saying: "It was difficult to enjoy.
"It’s been really difficult, sad, disappointing - but I’ve just been trying to focus on being the best version of myself and helping the boys."
Chelsea put no timeframe on the length of Bruno's expected time in charge and ahead of Saturday's trip to Wolves, the Spaniard said: "As it stands I expect to go home and rest.
"I focus day by day and the owners know the staff will be as professional as we can. We are going to represent this club the best we can. We know the standards here, we know the demands."
Havertz has an awful lot of credit in the bank among Chelsea fans, almost all of which was accrued when he scored the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final, but even the home supporters began to get on the forward’s back during another underwhelming display at Stamford Bridge.
It feels almost obligatory to state that Havertz is not a No 9 and asking him to perform that role is placing an unfair burden on him, but there comes a point when he has to accept some responsibility for his misses in front of goal.
There were several against Liverpool, the first of which saw him shoot straight at Alisson from close range, but the most glaring came just after half-time after he was played in one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Havertz had plenty of time to decide what to do but, as Gary Neville said on commentary for Sky Sports: “He didn't do anything right - he just ran straight at Alisson."
As if to sum up the Germany international's fortunes in front of goal, the ball then rebounded onto him and into the net - only for VAR to show he had clearly diverted it there with his arm.
It’s true that Havertz is not a natural No 9, but then what is he? He has failed to perform consistently when deployed out wide or deeper for Chelsea, and the fact is that the job he currently needs to perform for the team is to be their main goalscorer - expectations he is currently failing to live up to.
Chelsea travel to Molineux to face Wolves on Saturday - kick-off 3pm - before heading to the Bernabeu to take on Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday April 12 - kick-off 8pm.
Meanwhile, Liverpool host Arsenal on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 4pm; kick-off 4.30pm.
Jurgen Klopp's side then go to Leeds on Monday Night Football on April 17, live on Sky Sports - kick-off 8pm.
April 8: Wolves (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
April 12: Real Madrid (A), Champions League quarter-final, kick-off 8pm
April 15: Brighton (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
April 18: Real Madrid (H), Champions League quarter-final, kick-off 8pm
April 26: Brentford (H) - Premier League, kick-off 7.45pm
April 29: Arsenal (A) - Premier League, kick-off 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports
May 6: Bournemouth (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 13: Nottingham Forest (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 20: Manchester City (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 28: Newcastle (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm
TBA: Man Utd (A) - Premier League
April 9: Arsenal (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
April 17: Leeds (A) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports
April 22: Nottingham Forest (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
April 26: West Ham (A) - Premier League, kick-off 7.45pm
April 30: Tottenham (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
May 3: Fulham (A) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm
May 6: Brentford (H) - Premier League, kick-off 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports
May 13: Leicester (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 20: Aston Villa (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 28: Southampton (A) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm
