Liverpool (5) 2-2 (4) Chelsea: 3 conclusions from the match

#2 Liverpool still lack a midfield creator

Liverpool is coming off a dream season. One in which they ended up winning (finally) the Champions League. They managed to take the Premier League title race to the last day and came second by only two points. After all the success, it is natural to think that the team is near to perfect and doesn't need any reinforcements.

For the sake of context, it is important to consider the case of Manchester City as well. City won the domestic treble last season and their squad looked nearly perfect. However, Pep Guardiola went out and bought another midfielder and a left-back. This is exactly where Liverpool have failed. After their fantastic season, Liverpool failed to realize their lack of a creator in midfield. Hence, they didn't make any significant signings this transfer window.

This issue was on display against Chelsea in the Super Cup final last night. Chelsea fielded a strong and sturdy midfield of N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, and Jorginho. In response, Liverpool had Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Fabinho in midfield. Now, the creative spark proved to be the difference between the two.

Chelsea's N'Golo Kante, arguably the best Chelsea player of the night, was an absolute livewire in midfield. He kept completing dribbles and linked the defence and the attack very well. Jorginho was continuously look out for lobs over the Liverpool defence to create a chance.

It is important to note that all of Liverpool's midfield were just supporting the build-up play and never really looked like they could get an assist. As the season progresses, Liverpool's decision of not bolstering their midfield might just turn out to be a mistake.

Edited by Sai Teja