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Chelsea travelled to Istanbul to face Liverpool in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday, at the Vodaphone Arena. The game pitted the UEFA Champions League winner against the UEFA Europa League winner and for Chelsea, it was a chance to set a marker ahead at the start of a new era.
After the departure of Maurizio Sarri in the summer, the Blues had appointed club Legend Frank Lampard as the new manager. Eden Hazard, who had been on fire last season, had completed his long impending move to Real Madrid. Chelsea were also crippled with the transfer ban, which meant that they were unable to get a replacement for the Belgian magician. For Lampard though, the stakes were quite high.
The Englishman had lost his first competitive game over the weekend, a humbling 4-0 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Manchester United in the Premier League. Lampard was missing a host of big names, especially in defence, but he knew that the game ahead represented a golden chance to win his first silverware as a manager. The Englishman named his team accordingly.
Lampard continued with Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal and Emerson, Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta as the back four. The midfield consisted of Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante and Jorginho, while in the attack, Olivier Giroud was selected to lead the line, with Christian Pulisic and Pedro either side of him.
The Blues started the game on the back foot but took the lead through Giroud in the 36th minute. However, Sadio Mane equalized for Liverpool in the 48th minute. When 90 minutes could not separate the two sides, the game when into extra time.
The Senegalese scored again in the 95th minute, giving Liverpool the lead, only for Jorginho to equalize 6 minutes later from the spot. In the end, Chelsea lost the game on penalties, as young Tammy Abraham missed the final spot-kick.
Even in defeat, the performances of these 5 men was the silver lining on the night for Frank Lampard.
#5 Kepa Arrizabalaga
The Spaniard might have let in 4 goals in the weekend against Manchester United, but Kepa Arrizabalaga was rock solid for Chelsea in between the sticks against Liverpool. He was at hand to deny the opposition on numerous occasions in the early stages, where Jurgen Klopp’s men were running the show.
Kepa’s resolve and stellar saves allowed Chelsea to remain in the game and caused Liverpool to lose a little concentration in the final third. The Spaniard was also decent with his distribution and helped his team play out from the back. Altogether, the Spaniard’s performance in the first half set the tone for the game.
In the dying moments of the game, with the scores still at 1-1, Kepa made a string of world-class saves to keep his team in the tie. While he could not stop any of the spot-kicks, the Spaniard was still very impressive on the night.
Also See : Epl table, Epl fixtures, Epl results
#4 Olivier Giroud
The Frenchman was selected to lead the line, ahead of Tammy Abraham, as Lampard opted for experience over youth. Chelsea opted for a counter-attacking strategy against Liverpool, trying to catch the opposition on the break and opting for long balls for Olivier Giroud.
The Frenchman was wasteful at the start, as he missed a couple of good opportunities to score, including a bicycle kick that lacked direction. However, in the 36th minute, he gave the game its defining moment.
Chelsea caught Liverpool on the break once again, as N'Golo Kante broke into space through the middle. The Frenchman slid the ball to Christian Pulisic, who showed great composure and control on the ball to finally carve out a great chance for Giroud. The Chelsea striker used all his experience to finish well and gave his team the lead.
The Frenchman continued to pile the pressure on the opposition in the second half but eventually lost his impact in the game, before he was substituted in the 75th minute. His replacement, Tammy Abraham, was the one who failed to convert the final spot-kick during the penalties.
#3 Pedro
The Spaniard started on the right attacking role but was allotted the freedom to pop up across the front line. As a result, Pedro had flexibility in his position that helped enhance his natural game.
The Spaniard was a live wire on the field and regularly unsettled the Liverpool backline with his movement and speed. He dropped down to pick the ball from deep and also made diagonal runs which were well spotted by the Chelsea midfield. The Spaniard even hit the crossbar in the first half with the scores still at 0-0.
Pedro was the architect of Chelsea’s rising dominance in the game in the first half. When the Blues were under intense pressure in the opening stages, the Spaniard used his quick feet and clever positioning to catch Liverpool off guard. He was very effective on the counter, as Lampard decided to hit the opposition on the break in the first half.
The Spaniard continued to be decisive in the second half, create quite a few chances, however, Chelsea were poor in front of goal. Despite the defeat, Pedro’s performance will give Lampard hope for the new season.
#2 Christian Pulisic
The American youngster started the game in the left forward role, a clear indication that Chelsea regarded him as the man to replace the departed Eden Hazard. And Christian Pulisic gave a fine account of himself in his first competitive start for the Blues. The American gave young Joe Gomez a hard time throughout the game, and Joel Matip had to regularly cover for the young English defender.
Pulisic showed tremendous speed on the break and Chelsea used his movement wisely in the first half, as they played on the counter and regularly caught Liverpool out of position. The teenager was lively across the front line and grew into the game with every passing minute. Ultimate, in the 36th minute, it was his decisive running that opened up the Liverpool defence.
Taking the ball from Kante, the American showed great ball control and speed to float through the final third. His movement drew the attention of the opposition. Pulisic then had the presence of mind to send Giroud free on goal with a beautiful through ball, and the Frenchman scored to give his team the lead.
Four minutes later, Pulisic had the ball at the back of the net, only for it to be correctly disallowed for offside. The American continued to impress until he was replaced in the 75th minute.
#1 N’Golo Kante
Against Manchester United over the weekend, Chelsea were outrun and out-muscled in the second half, as the Red Devils ran riot on the field. One man who was sorely missed on the night was N’Golo Kante, who was recovering from injury and was only brought on for the last 20 minutes of the game.
However, Lampard was quick to reinstate the Frenchman in the starting line up against Liverpool, in a midfield three alongside Kovacic and Jorginho. With Sarri gone, Kante was expected to carry out his usual deeper role in the field. Lampard, though, had other ideas.
The Frenchman was given full freedom on the field and was unshackled from his defensive responsibilities. And the result was simply brilliant. Kante dictated the game in a box-to-box role, ensuring that Liverpool failed to take control of the midfield.
The Frenchman was brilliant on the counter, moving the ball quickly and joining the attack with intent. Without the ball, he was his usual inspired self, pressing the opposition, closing down and breaking Liverpool’s moves. It was his brilliant build-up play that helped Chelsea score the opening goal.
N’golo Kante was Chelsea’s best player by a mile on the night. He is the engine of this Chelsea team and Lampard will be delighted with his performance against Liverpool.
