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

Chelsea and Liverpool went head to head in what was a one-sided affair in Istanbul for the UEFA Super Cup. Chelsea were thumped 4-0 by Manchester United last weekend, and Liverpool demolished Norwich City. Hence, all the drastic predictions of Liverpool being likely to win were quite logical. However, Frank Lampard and Chelsea had other plans as he changed up his formation and introduced a Chelsea side full of intent.

Liverpool started strongly as they asserted control over Chelsea, maintaining the majority of the possession and keeping a high-line. Chelsea slowly grew into the game as Christian Pulisic started to make his mark. Soon, Chelsea scored a brilliant goal courtesy to Christan Pulisic and Olivier Giroud. As the game went on, Chelsea continued to put pressure but failed to convert many chances. Sadio Mane equalized just after half-time and Liverpool started looking like they were in control.

Tammy Abraham missed a glorious chance towards the end of the second half but Chelsea managed to take the game to extra time. However, Mane scored a screamer soon. This put a lot of pressure on Chelsea and they also started to look tired. Adrian gifted a penalty to Chelsea which was duly converted by Jorginho. The penalty shootout followed and Liverpool came out on top.

Here, we take a look at three conclusions to draw from this dramatic game.

#1 Pulisic is ready to lead Chelsea

Ever since the departure of Eden Hazard, many people have been raising some serious questions about the Chelsea attack. Last season, the Chelsea frontline looked toothless whenever Hazard had an off day.

Now, Christian Pulisic is one of the most talented young footballers in the world. And this talent was seen last night as Pulisic was in fantastic form. On countless ococcasions, Pulisic managed to draw a bunch of defenders towards himself before releasing Olivier Giroud into open space.

The first goal scored by Chelsea was perfect as Pulisic dribbled the ball carrying three defenders with him. As Giroud ran into the space vacated by the drawn defenders, Pulisic played a sublime through ball that put Giroud one-on-one with the Reds' keeper. What followed was an absolute world-class finish from Giroud. Pulisic even scored a brilliant solo goal only to be ruled marginally offside.

What is important here is that Pulisic was shouldering the playmaking responsibility as he was constantly carrying the fall forward with intent and then setting up others. It seems that Pulisic, despite his young age, is ready to lead the Chelsea line after their prolific Belgian's departure.

#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.

#3 Lampard must decide on Azpilicueta

Cesar Azpilicueta has been a stalwart at Stamford Bridge for quite some time. He is perhaps one of the most respected figures at the club. However, after the preseason and the two games against Manchester United and Liverpool, and parts of last season as well, it is easy to notice that Azpilicueta is slowly fading away.

Against Liverpool last night, Azpilicueta struggled against the pace and physicality of Sadio Mane. Moreover, he was often caught out of position and couldn't backtrack in time. What is even more astonishing is that Azpilicueta also messed up the offside trap on a couple of occasions. He played the forward onside twice and was seen vigorously appealing for an offside call.

Now, after judging the David Luiz incident, it is noticeable that Frank Lampard is a strong figure in the dressing room and doesn't let his emotions change his decisions. Hence, Lampard must take a strong decision in this case.

At the moment, the Chelsea backline is very young and lacks experience at the top level. With Luiz departing, Chelsea needs Azpilicueta in some form or the other. Hence, the best possible solution to this problem is to shift him to central defence and bring Reece James to right-back. This will enhance the overall abilities of the backline as well as retain the experience of Azpilicueta.

Edited by Sai Teja