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10-man Chelsea held Liverpool to a battling 1-1 draw when both sides faced off at Anfield on Saturday in matchday three of the Premier League.
Despite playing with an extra man for over 45 minutes, Liverpool failed to make use of their numerical advantage. The Blues put on a superb defensive show of class to force a share of the spoils.
In an end-to-end affair, Liverpool kicked off the game on the front foot as they marauded forward in numbers to grab an early opener.
However, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock courtesy of a dinking header from German starlet Kai Havertz.
Chelsea upped the ante from there on, but were guilty of wasteful finishing as they failed to double their lead despite several half chances.
However, Liverpool restored parity on the stroke of half-time through a penalty kick from Mohamed Salah.
A goalmouth scrabble in the final minute of the first half led to Reece James picking up a red card after handling the ball inside the box.
Salah stepped up and clinically executed his penalty, sending Edouard Mendy the opposite way to level the score.
However, Chelsea put in a resilient defending performance in the second half to rebuff the efforts of the Liverpool attackers and settle for a share of the spoils. Without further ado, below are five talking points from the game.
#5 Edouard Mendy shines for Chelsea on the big stage once again
Edouard Mendy has been a star performer for Chelsea since joining from Ligue 1 side Rennes. While the Chelsea defenders diligently played their part, Mendy was integral to the Blues' top-four finish, alongside their Champions League winning run last season. He also won the UEFA goalkeeper of the season award last season.
The Senegalese shot-stopper has picked up where he left off last season, keeping clean sheets and putting in an inspired performance between the sticks against Liverpool.
Having to deal with a ruthless Liverpool front three of Salah, Jota and Mane, Mendy made an impressive six saves to help his side force a share of the spoils.
The 29-year-old has proven to be a bargain buy for the Blues, having joined the club for just €25m.
#4 Virgil Van Dijk sends out a message with a dominant display
Heading into the game, one of the major key battles leading into the game was Virgil Van Dijk going up against Chelsea new man Romelu Lukaku.
The latter had put on a headline-grabbing performance in Chelsea’s previous game against Arsenal as he utterly bullied the entire Gunners backline.
The Chelsea forward was faced with the test of going up against Van Dijk, who matched him for strength and raw power.
However, Van Dijk came out on top, winning most of their duels as well as orchestrating his backline.
The Dutch centre-back finished with two tackles, one interception and one clearance, while completing all his ground and aerial duels.
#3 No room for Ben Chilwell as Marcos Alonso’s resurgence continues
With the left-backs at the club grossly underperforming, Chelsea turned their sights to Leicester City man Ben Chillwell, who they eventually snapped up for £50m last season.
The Englishman instantly slotted into the Chelsea defense and was one of the standout performers enroute to their impressive 2020-21 season.
However, Chilwell is yet to play a minute for Chelsea this season after returning from the England national team at the Euros.
This has been largely due to a rejuvenated Marcos Alonso, who has put on a string of impressive outings down Chelsea's left flank.
The Spaniard was a major threat to the Liverpool backline as he drifted forward to whip in dangerous crosses.
Defensively, he held his ground against Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, keeping him at bay for most of the game.
#2 Another Thomas Tuchel Masterclass
Thomas Tuchel maintained his fine record in charge of Chelsea as he guided his side to claim a point against a rampant Liverpool side.
Despite playing with one man down, Chelsea kept their defensive shape and structure to keep the hosts’ frontmen at bay.
The German tactician is unbeaten in 28 of his 33 games at the helm, boasting a 2.18 point-per-game record.
In his short time at the club, Tuchel has guided Chelsea to the UEFA Champions League and Super Cup titles. He has also picked up the German Manager of the Year and the UEFA Champions League Manager of the Year awards.
#1 N’Golo Kante injury woes continue
Tireless midfielder N’Golo Kante was hooked off at half-time against Liverpool, raising worries over a new injury concern.
With the Blues reduced to 10 men and in need of a solid defensive midfield presence, Kante’s substitution seemed a forced move after he picked up a knock.
The Frenchman has been out of the squad recently due to several injuries. And this could force Chelsea to dive into the market in search of a new midfielder to bolster their ranks.
The likes of Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley have been deemed surplus to requirements. The Blues have been linked with AS Monaco and France starlet Aurélien Tchouaméni, who has dazzled in Ligue 1 last season. He also scored two goals and made four assists.
Should the 21-year-old complete a switch to Stamford Bridge, he would serve as the perfect understudy and heir to N’Golo Kante’s throne.
