Liverpool 2-0 Chelsea: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis 

#4 Chelsea left to rue their missed opportunities

Hazard missed a couple of crucial chances

The game was meandering along in the opening half. Both teams cancelled each other out and neither was willing to prioritise creativity at the cost of calculation. However, a string of body blows by Liverpool before the hour mark, caught Chelsea off-guard. Though the away side failed to recover from the quick goals, it certainly wasn’t due to a paucity of chances.

Just after ceding a two-goal advantage, the visitors had the opportunity to half the deficit. Eden Hazard was played through superbly and the Belgian kept his calm to take the long ball in his stride. The forward then went eyeball to eyeball with Alisson but could only strike his effort against the post.

Moments later, Hazard was accorded the chance to redeem himself. Yet, he could only muster a tame shot at Alisson from an Azpilicueta cross.

After the said instances, Gonzalo Higuain was sent free down the left channel but the Argentine’s indecisiveness allowed Virgil van Dijk to step in. Throughout the second period, Chelsea kept pushing and probing but their decision making in the final third left a lot to be desired.

Though the away side ended the match second best, they certainly had openings to get back into the game. Yet, as it turned out, Chelsea were left licking its own wounds rather than inflicting a cut on Liverpool’s title charge.