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Chelsea and Liverpool played out a fantastic game at Stamford Bridge, ending in a 1-1 draw. The game really showed the quality of both the sides as their title aspirations were put to test.
The Blues took the lead midway through the first half after some excellent team play, with Eden Hazard finishing brilliantly. They held onto their slender lead for most of the game, until Daniel Sturridge banged in a screamer with around a minute to go to silence his former club.
In the end, it was the right result. Both teams played a great game and did not deserve to be on the losing side. It was a proper Premier League clash between two giants who want the title, as the intensity was sky high throughout.
These two clubs finished out of the top three last season, but have looked really good so far this season. After another tight game in midweek between Liverpool and Chelsea, with the Blues winning through Hazard magic, the shares were spoilt. This was probably the best game between Chelsea and Liverpool in years.
Here are five things we learnt from this belter of a game.
#5 Liverpool's front three are not fully firing yet
Last season, Liverpool basically worked through their lethal front three. Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane constantly put the sword to defences across England and Europe. They were so good at tearing teams apart in a matter of minutes. It was the combination of those three who took the Reds to the Champions League final, with some vital contributions in every tie en route to Kiev.
However, these three haven't yet shown that same level of speed, dynamism and sharpness that was there last season. It could be down to early season rustiness, but we are already two months into this campaign.
Individually, all three have had their moments this season. But that stellar team play has yet to be seen, particularly with Mo Salah. The Egyptian still gets into the most dangerous areas to create loads of chances, but he just seems slightly off from his groundbreaking form from last season.
There is still lots of time for the three front men to tick and get it rolling but so far, it just hasn't happened like it did last season. On the other hand, Liverpool has shown that they are not overly dependent on their front three after an impressive start to the season.
#4 Maurizio Sarri has got Chelsea fans purring
Chelsea has been known to play some really boring football in recent years. From the way they won the Champions League in 2012, to Jose Mourinho's approach in 2014, even with Antonio Conte's effective style of play, the Blues never really dazzled.
It did work for them though, as their two title wins in the last four seasons suggest so. However, the appointment of Maurizio Sarri as manager has sparked a pretty welcome change in style at Stamford Bridge.
Sarri's style involves a lot of passing and neat play across the field. It is attractive to watch and the style has caught on superbly so far for Chelsea. They won their first five Premier League games of the season and impressed in doing so.
This is a really refreshing sight for Blues fans, who aren't particularly used to seeing their side play entertaining football. The likes of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic have extensively improved the midfield, alongside mainstay N'golo Kante. This was expertly demonstrated during Chelsea's opener.
Kovacic, Jorginho and Hazard all combined with some slick passing before the on-loan Madrid midfielder slotted in a perfect through ball for the Belgian superstar to finish well. One of the chief reasons why this style is really effective is that the defence is not compromised in the slightest, as Antonio Rudiger and David Luiz stood firm against the Reds frontline.
While they have been extremely successful in the past, this new and somewhat attacking style has revitalised the Blues, who seek a third league title in five years.
#3 Liverpool now have real bench strength
In the past few years, Jurgen Klopp has built a really impressive squad at Liverpool. Staying ambitious and persistent in the transfer market has paid off for the German, as he got hold on a lot of his targets. The side looks completely different now than what it was when Klopp arrived at Anfield.
The likes of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker were all brought in to inflict change at the club. So far, it has been working. But there always was one problem. Bench strength.
While Liverpool had a pretty strong starting eleven of players, the bench was often left with fringe players who would hardly get a look in. The depth of the squad was severely tested, as a bunch of injuries almost left the Reds short during their run to the Champions League final last season.
A weak bench really cost Liverpool dearly in the final against Real Madrid, as Salah went off injured in the first half. Funnily, it was a substitute, Gareth Bale, who won the final for Madrid.
Klopp has rectified that in pre-season as he signed Xherdan Shaqiri from relegated Stoke City and gave Daniel Sturridge another opportunity after the Englishman had impressed. This has proved to make the difference for the Reds. T
he additions of Naby Keita and Fabinho have also given the manager multiple options to choose from. It is always a good thing when you have options. Sturridge would score an absolutely world-class goal to equalise for Liverpool against Chelsea, proving just how worthy of a player he is. This could be the difference between the progress of last season and the possibly the success of this.
#2 Eden Hazard is the Premier League's best player
It has been hotly debated everywhere for a while now, is Eden Hazard the best player in the Premier League? He absolutely is, and he proved it against Liverpool, twice. The Belgian scored two absolutely beautiful, albeit different, goals in the two games Chelsea played against the Reds this week.
While one would point to the average season he had during the last campaign, Hazard came back strongly with a good showing at the World Cup in Russia. He has also been a real menace for years now.
Having signed from Lille in 2012, Hazard lit up the Premier League from day one. He enjoyed an impressive debut season and went on to take the talismanic responsibilities at Stamford Bridge. He won the PFA Player of the Year award in 2014-15, as the Blues won the title.
He proved his class again, in 2016-17, after a difficult season before. The Belgian forward possesses the required skill, talent and overall character to be named among the elite footballers in the world. His dribbling is out of this world, as Premier League defences have found out over the last few years.
This season, Hazard has shown a massive improvement in his end product. He already has six goals in the league this season, the most current, showing that he is now banging in the goals as well. Do not be surprised if Hazard grabs a few more worldies this season, he is the best player in the league. He is one of the best players in the world. He probably is the best not named Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
#1 This season could be the best title race in the last five years
Last season, Manchester City grabbed an unprecedented 100 points in the Premier League. That was 19 points higher than second-placed Manchester United. In previous seasons, we saw the Chelsea and Leicester City wrap up the league with multiple games to spare. The last real Premier League title race we got that went right to the wire was in 2013-14, when Liverpool came painfully close to winning their first league title since 1990.
There is no way the Citizens would be able to repeat the untouchable heights they reached last season, meaning that the league will be much more tightly contested now.
Liverpool and Chelsea played out a game which was a test to their title credentials, with both sides passing. They will look to build on impressive starts to the season and try to challenge Man City for the crown. It is a tall task but as we have seen, Liverpool has now got the squad depth to do really well.
Sturridge has been excellent for them so far this season, coming up big against the Blues and PSG in the Champions League. Similarly, Chelsea showed just how solid they are. Under Sarri, the Blues have an identity and a foundation that is being laid out perfectly by their midfield.
Both sides have got experience in vital games. Chelsea still has a lot of their title winners, in Hazard, Fabregas, Azpilicueta, Willian and more. The majority of Liverpool's squad were part of their journey to the Champions League final, with the majority of their summer signings reaching the latter stages of the tournament at different times. They will be close challengers to Manchester City this season.
2018-19 could possibly have the best Premier League title race in years, as it could turn out to be a three-horse race. This game at the Bridge has ignited high hopes for both Liverpool and Chelsea, as they hope to dethrone Manchester City in May.
