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After the game ended 2-2 after 120 minutes of play, Liverpool pipped Chelsea by 5-4 in an exhilarating penalty shootout to add yet another piece of silverware in their cabinet in the form of the UEFA Super Cup.
In a fixture that swayed like a pendulum for large phases, Olivier Giroud netted the first goal of the Frank Lampard era, courtesy a run from N'Golo Kante and a decisive pass from new boy Christian Pulisic.
Sadio Mane though had other plans as just about a minute into the second half, he restored parity between the sides, before adding another in extra time. Six minutes later, Jorginho made no mistake from the spot to send Adrian the wrong way and score a second for Chelsea.
In penalties, nine out of the first nine players found the back of the net with conviction, as though the nerves never seemed to have been there. However, Adrian made himself a hero by saving the fifth Chelsea penalty, much to the dismay of young Tammy Abraham.
The fixture was encompassed with free-flowing, energy-driven football from both sides, but the Blues ended up on the wrong side of the result by the finest of margins. A lot can be rued about in the coming days, but to win trophies against top drawer oppositions always requires grit, concentration and nerves of steel.
On that note, we list three reasons why Chelsea lost to Liverpool in an enthralling penalty shootout.
#3 Inability to handle Firmino's movement
Chelsea led at the break, clearly having been the sharper and the more convincing side in terms of passing, creating chances and completing productive passages of play.
Just one change, however, proved the difference in the second half as Roberto Firmino made an excellent run down the right of the Chelsea defense to receive a Fabinho chip, and fed an onrushing Mane with a delightful cushioned cross.
Throughout the course of the second half and extra time, he was a menace for the Blues. The Brazilian knocked down spaces, dragged defenders out of their positions and was easily the best provider among the Liverpool forwards.
Chances came in plenty for the Reds, and Firmino happened to be eccentric to almost each one of them.
Dropping off into a pocket of space ahead of both Chelsea center-backs and finding Henderson in the 52nd minute illustrated the same. Not to mention, Firmino dispatched his spot-kick with no fuss either.
#2 Inability to kill the game off at crucial junctures
Just as we saw in the fixture against Manchester United, Chelsea failed to capitalize on captivating passages of play. They built strong attacks, showed great passion and skill to get behind the Liverpool backline and fabricated fine-tuned passes many a time, but just missed out in the final third.
Chances that came in abundance went begging, with the likes of Abraham, Pedro, Emerson, and Pulisic all testing the credentials of Adrian. Mateo Kovacic summed up his life at Chelsea in the 32nd minute by making the perfect run ahead of the wingers, sorting his feet out perfectly and launching an effort on target, but not inside the back of the net.
Pulisic, time and time again, exploited the flank and utilized his twinkling feet to get in behind the full-backs, but twice in the first half, there was no one to stab home another goal.
The same goes with Tammy Abraham too, who needs to find those vacant areas in the six-yard box and accumulate goals in uglier ways.
With time and defeats such as these, chances and morale will dry up if Chelsea fail to convert their well-made opportunities. The brand of football is clearly exhibiting positive signs, but now it's all about taking those chances and the three points.
#1 Poor order of penalty takers
Irrespective of the missed opportunities and the entertainment provided to the fans in Istanbul, we ought to question the pattern of penalty-takers from Chelsea's side.
Why did a youngster step up, in a nail-biting contest against the Champions of Europe, to take the fifth and final spot-kick? Shouldn't it have been a more experienced and seasoned specialist such as Jorginho or Barkley, who converted penalties in style during pre-season?
In order, Jorginho, Barkley, Mount, Emerson and finally Abraham took responsibility in the shootout. Three out of the first four are decent penalty-takers, which makes you wonder why one of them did not step up for the final kick. Take note, Emerson has converted many penalties in recent times.
Compare and contrast this with the Reds' design of penalty takers; Mohamed Salah is always the fifth man to take charge, regardless of the stage or the situation. The likes of Divock Origi and Trent Alexander-Arnold slotted in the third and fourth spots, after Liverpool had gained confidence.
This is where minute details and the end result of crunch fixtures are decided.
