Liverpool maintained a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League with an impressive 4-1 win over Chelsea on Wednesday night.
Diogo Jota broke through the Chelsea defense to give Liverpool the lead in the 23rd minute. Conor Bradley then burst through down the right flank and finally fired past Djordje Petrovic to score his first senior goal of his Liverpool career.
Dominik Szoboszlai headed home the third goal in the 65th minute, and Liverpool looked set to win. Christopher Nkunku’s goal in the 71st minute gave the hosts a brief scare, but Luis Dias put an end to the game for Jurgen Klopp’s side moments later.
Here, Philip Buckingham, Liam Twomey and Mark Carey analyze Wednesday night’s match.
Did Bradley give Jurgen Klopp a headache?
Bradley was lined up to face Charlton Athletic and Cheltenham Town this time last year as part of a season-long loan to League One side Bolton Wanderers.
Chelsea in the Premier League was supposed to be a completely different challenge, but the right-back once again endorsed his vast potential.
Bradley made his first league appearance at Anfield, featuring in Chelsea’s side that also features England internationals Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling. Without blinking an eye, the 20-year-old fully justified Jurgen Klopp’s call to leave Trent Alexander-Arnold out as a substitute.
His first Liverpool goal capped off a recent breakthrough night for Bradley. The Northern Ireland player continued his run all the way to Luis Diaz Pass, and at the end of the first half, he made a powerful drive past Petrovic.
Bradley already had an assist to his name by then, first with his tenacity in pressing and then with his passing to assist Diogo Jota’s opener. He galloped off to admirable support.
It wasn’t his only assist of the night, he scored the third goal with a great cross from the right.
Ten days on from his Premier League debut in the 4-0 win away to Bournemouth, Bradley has doubled down on his introduction with the goal of further improvement. From an unknown quantity to a reliable asset in the blink of an eye.
philip buckingham
What do Chelsea need to change ahead of the Carabao Cup final?
Almost everything about their attitude and approach. Liverpool are good at creating a whirlwind of intensity, especially at Anfield, but there was nothing surprising about what they did. Yet Chelsea behaved like a group of players who had never even watched a game at this stadium on TV before.
They played at their own pace even after it became clear that their pace was not fast enough to compete. He was rarely physical enough to foul Liverpool, but still managed to earn two bookings for dissent and one for diving during a miserable first 45 minutes.
Conor Gallagher may be rightfully angry at the inexplicable decision not to award a penalty when Virgil van Dijk’s knee got stuck inside the penalty area, but he has no right to worry about what happened on either side of the incident. This did not suggest that Chelsea would have scored the first goal and changed the course of the game significantly.
It took until the 48th minute for the visitors to get a shot through Alisson, but it was Enzo Fernandes’ shot from long range. Mauricio Pochettino’s triple substitutions at half-time not only reflected his anger at Chelsea’s performance, but also perhaps because his starting XI has always been the best against a team as good as Liverpool. This also reflects the reality that they had repeated dead draws.
He wants Christopher Nkunku and Nicholas Jackson to be fit and available when next month’s Carabao Cup final approaches. Chelsea will still be overwhelming underdogs, but the least they owe their supporters is to be energetic and competitive.
liam toomey
Why was Jones able to play so freely?
The contrast was almost poetic.
Visiting Chelsea spent their wealth on Liverpool’s academy graduates who shined under the lights at Anfield.
While Bradley’s goals will grab the headlines, 23-year-old Curtis Jones has quietly become one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League this season.
Jones’ main strength is his ability to play freely. He appears in different places on the pitch, making it difficult for opponents to mark him. When Liverpool built up from the back, Jones often provided an option to break into central areas alongside Alexis McClister.
If that option had not been turned on, he would have remained wide along the left touchline, leaving space for left-back Joe Gomez to move in and pin the Chelsea winger, allowing Jones to receive high up. will provide.
Jones led the press as the furthest forward player when not in possession, but three seconds later he retreated and cut off his own final pass.
It’s a trait that has grown significantly this season, as the manager made clear after Liverpool’s 5-2 win over Norwich last weekend.
“If Curtis Jones can learn to defend, anyone can learn to defend!” Klopp revealed. “The offensive play, this high press, the intensity with which he set us up for a rhythm. If he can do it, anyone can do it.”
For all the money spent on Liverpool’s midfield in the summer, he is one of the homegrown talents who has become an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool 2.0.
mark carey
Does Chelsea have a decision-making problem?
Chelsea’s attacking prodigality has been a key theme this season.
Only Everton have underperformed Pochettino’s side on expected goals this season, with the numbers suggesting they should have scored eight more goals than they actually did. . Chances were few and far between at Anfield, but Chelsea’s decision-making early in their attacking sequences could improve as much as the shots themselves.
That last pass, that little move to widen the angle, that head up at the decisive moment. These may seem like small things on the pitch, but they can be the difference between a draw and a win. The question is whether to advance to the European quota or remain stuck in the middle of the rankings.
The only shining light is that Christopher Nkunku has achieved full fitness. His only goal for Chelsea was a sharp shot and was exactly the injection of quality needed in the second half of the season.
There are plenty of positives for Chelsea, but at the top end of the pitch the subtle details matter.
mark carey
How important is Anfield to Liverpool?
Liverpool last won the Premier League title in 2019-20, when they went unbeaten at Anfield. If he repeats this trick this season, with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur still visiting, there is a good chance that Klopp’s era as manager will end on a high.
The comfortable win over Chelsea took them to 29 points from 11 home games this season, the highest in the division. There might have been more excitement had the momentum not been dampened by disappointing draws with Manchester United and Arsenal before Christmas, but Anfield has become a fertile hunting ground.
Liverpool have not lost a home game since Real Madrid won the Champions League last February. The 2-1 loss to Leeds United in October 2022 was the only game in almost three years in which the Premier League visitors left Anfield with a win. Manager Klopp will leave the fortress this summer.
philip buckingham
What did Klopp and Pochettino say?
“We have to play really well to calm Chelsea down,” Klopp told TNT Sports. “But we came into the game really strong.
“Right in the right direction. Let’s put pressure on them. Our counter-pressing was the best, winning the ball and putting them in areas they didn’t want.”
Pochettino told TNT Sports: “They were much better than us and every time we got the ball back with the first or second touch, we lost the ball. It was natural for them. .
“Maybe if Nkunku gets a penalty, we have a chance to play. But you can’t complain about the decision. They were better than us.
“If you look at the iPad, it was unlucky for us and should have been a penalty. But it still didn’t change the feeling that Liverpool were better than us.”
What’s next for Liverpool?
Sunday February 4th: Arsenal (A), Premier League, 4:30pm GMT, 11:30am ET
Liverpool have performed well against Arsenal in recent years, losing just one of their last nine games.
What’s next for Chelsea?
Sunday February 4th: Wolverhampton Wanderers (H), Premier League, 2pm GMT, 9am ET
Gary O’Neill’s side have already shocked Chelsea this season, winning 2-1 five weeks ago with goals from Mario Lemina and Matt Doherty. Can they pull a double past Pochettino’s camp?
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(Top photo: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)