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Key occasions
37 min: Neto may be very moody, isn’t he. At all times appears to have a face on.
35 min: I’d not be stunned if Liverpool made plenty of adjustments at half-time. Elliott has been poor, Jota has been nearly nameless.
33 min: In possession, Caicedo is usually shifting from right-back into midfield to create an additional man. What that implies that if Liverpool win fast turnover ball, there’s a massive gap on their left and Chelsea’s proper for Gakpo to use.
31 min: Chelsea hit the bar! Madueke shimmies inside Alexander-Arnold and his deflected cross finally finds Caicedo on the appropriate. The Ecuadorian wriggles away from Tsimikas and floats in a hopeful cross to the again publish. The ball loops over Alisson and hits the highest of the bar – Liverpool are lucky it bounces behind slightly than again into play, the place Madueke and Jackson have been ready for a rebound.
29 min: Cucurella is having a superb recreation at left-back. Someplace in his pocket, Salah is wriggling round.
27 min: Liverpool are beginning to suffocate Chelsea with their possession. Wave after wave of assault comes ahead with the Reds probing this manner and that. Chelsea keep sturdy of their defensive form, for now. The Blues nonetheless supply a menace on the counter-attack however momentum is actually with Liverpool.
25 min: Caicedo needlessly fouls Gakpo and Liverpool have an opportunity to advance Van Dijk and Quansah for a free-kick into the field. Tsimikas crosses to the again publish, however Chelsea defend it effectively.
23 min: Salah is quietly having a little bit of a stinker on the appropriate wing. He’s struggling to regulate simple passes and twice Cururella has nipped in to win possession. There’s a wry smile on Salah’s face because the digicam pans to him, as if to say: “I’m not fairly certain what’s going on!” He’ll absolutely get it collectively quickly.
20 min: Jackson’s tempo in behind is inflicting all kinds of issues to Liverpool’s excessive line. Jackson once more sprints onto a excessive lofted ball ahead and simply misses the bounce of the ball. A contact there would have left Quansah and Alisson fully stranded.
17 min: Simply as he did for the purpose, Neto will get one other likelihood to run at Tsimikas, however this time the Liverpool defender reads the physique feint and edges out the Portuguese winger, who appeals in useless for a penalty. Good defending.
15 min: We’re seeing replays of Chelsea’s purpose, and Lavia actually confirmed his high quality there on the base of Maresca’s midfield to feed Palmer, who additionally confirmed nice motion to lose his marker (Jones).
13 min: “It’s shocking what number of positions do want strengthening to problem once more subsequent season, particularly in Europe and towards a brand new look Metropolis,” emails Jeff Goines. “I appear to be the one one who thinks the forwards want a serious overhaul, nearly all of them are overrated by Liverpool followers and I’d money in on Diaz in a second for good cash. Clearly Nunez has to go if they’ll recoup a good quantity. Jota I can’t see anybody clambering for therefore I’d maintain, in addition to Chiesa … no concept what’s gone on there however I feel we’d be foolish to not give the participant that’s in there someplace a second go. Herald somebody who can play down the center, no concept who however it’s undoubtedly not Isak as a result of we gained’t pay that. Left again, proper again, CB and DM. Different thank that wanting good!”
11 min: Jackson goes clear via and toe-pokes the ball previous Alisson simply exterior Liverpool’s field earlier than the Chelsea striker is cleaned out. It’s absolutely a purple card for the Liverpool goalkeeper … Jackson would have tapped the ball into an empty web … however the flag goes up for offside! Replays present the Senegalese simply strayed off from the preliminary via ball.
9 min: Gakpo will get away from Caicedo on Liverpool’s left and curls an effort at purpose, saved by Sanchez, when he may need regarded to teammates within the center.
7 min: Liverpool merely haven’t settled. Elliott and Endo have failed to offer Slot his customary management in the midst of the pitch. Typically a participant like Mac Allister doesn’t all the time stand out in the identical approach that Salah does, however the Argentinian – on the bench at this time – very hardly ever loses the ball and is so tactically astute.
5 min: Chelsea are motoring! Madueke picks the ball up in house and has Cucurella to his left. He ignores the decoy run, and Jackson and Fernandez to his proper and takes a shot on the sting of Liverpool’s field, dragging his effort large. A waste of a superb opening. Maresca can have wished extra from that state of affairs.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Liverpool (Fernandez 3)
A stupendous purpose! Lavia begins the transfer, slipping a beautiful move to Palmer in midfield. The ball goes large to Neto and the Portuguese drives into the field, delivering a low cross to Fernandez. The World Cup winner does effectively to take a contact – the cross was a contact in entrance of him and a first-time end would have been a stretch – and Fernandez finishes with a sidefoot end from 10 yards out. Nice purpose!
2 min: Liverpool look very sharp from the off, with Salah and Elliott exchanging a neat one-two. The Egyptian bought to the byline and pulled a low cross throughout purpose, however Sanchez bought down effectively to collect properly.
Peeeeeeeeeeeep!
We’re off at Stamford Bridge!
The groups are out. Chelsea arrive on the pitch first and line up in a guard of honour for the brand new champions. Liverpool’s facet stroll out and thru the avenue of Chelsea gamers to boos from the Stamford Bridge crowd. Hmmmm.
“There’s no level in protecting gamers that Slot gained’t play, so Chiesa and Nunez go, perhaps others”, emails Nigel Visitor. “Robertson is fading, so we want one other left again. Salah desperately wants backup. He can’t maintain taking part in each minute. In any other case, it relies upon who else leaves.”
Yep, actually a bonafide proper winger is required, in addition to a proper again if/when Trent Alexander-Arnold departs. I’d personally maintain Robertson for his expertise and purchase a high youthful left-back for him to mentor, corresponding to Bournemouth’s Kerkez or Fulham’s Antonee Robinson. Possibly promote Tsimikas, though the Greek is reliable. One other wonderful centre-back, to problem Konate and Van Dijk could be prudent, if they’ll afford that. The goalkeeper state of affairs is attention-grabbing, given Giorgi Mamardashvili goes to affix this summer time from Valencia.
Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s supervisor, speaks to the cameras:
We’ve got to attempt to handle the feelings. We’ve got regained our momentum by profitable some video games. We’re taking part in towards winner gamers with winner mentality, so I anticipate a tricky recreation.
Liverpool followers, your facet have simply cantered to the league title. In what place/positions would you prefer to see the membership spend money on over the summer time? And who would you do away with?
Solutions to the standard place: michael.butler@theguardian.com.
Jacob Steinberg’s preview to our late kick-off at Stamford Bridge.
Right here’s an extract:
The response to Karius’s mishaps was extra ruthlessness. A goalkeeper was wanted and Liverpool went for it within the subsequent switch window, paying £66.8m to signal Alisson from Roma. They weren’t hanging round. Alisson was 25 and elite. Bear in mind his save in Liverpool’s win over Napoli in December 2018? They’d not have gained the Champions League with out that intervention. Liverpool have been rewarded for his or her seriousness; the mentality monsters constructed on turning into European champions by charging to their first league title in 30 years.
Chelsea, who’ve the second-youngest squad throughout Europe’s high 5 leagues and are monitoring the 19-year-old Ajax left-back Jorrel Hato, ought to take observe. They may give Liverpool a guard of honour at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon and face a group with stability at their core. Van Dijk, now 33, remains to be the defensive rock and has signed on for 2 extra years. Alisson, at 32, stays among the best goalkeepers on the earth. It’s a easy equation: shopping for one of the best normally makes you one of the best.
Full-time on the Amex: Brighton 1-1 Newcastle. An honest outcome for Chelsea, that, with Newcastle dropping factors. Diego Gómez missed a sitter to win it for Brighton within the ninety fifth minute.
Large information within the race for the Champions League: Newcastle have discovered a late equaliser at Brighton, with Alexander Isak changing a penalty kick. That recreation, now 1-1, is now into stoppage time and you may comply with the closing moments right here.
That’s what that purpose does to the stay desk. A draw on the Amex and a win for Chelsea right here will imply the Blues draw degree on factors with Newcastle, with three video games to play.
A reminder that there have been three Champions League semi-finals within the 2000s performed out between these two sides (and one quarter-final in 2008-09).
Wesley Fofana apart, Chelsea are kind of at full power, with Lavia’s re-emergence into the XI shifting Caicedo to proper again. A penny for the ideas of Reece James on Chelsea’s bench.
Liverpool do make some adjustments: Quansah, Tsimikas, Endo, Elliott all begin, however that is removed from a makeshift facet. And Konate, Diaz, Szoboszlai and Mac Allister all lurk on Liverpool’s bench.
The groups!
Chelsea: Sanchez, Caicedo, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella, Lavia, Fernandez, Pedro Neto, Palmer, Madueke, Jackson.
Subs: Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Dewsbury-Corridor, James, Gusto, George, Acheampong.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, van Dijk, Tsimikas, Endo, Jones, Salah, Elliott, Gakpo, Jota.
Subs: Kelleher, Konate, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Nunez, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Robertson, Bradley.
Preamble
What a pleasure it’s to report on a Premier League recreation the place there’s truly one thing at stake. Liverpool might have sewn up the league title final weekend, however issues stay very a lot within the steadiness for Chelsea, who’re wildly chasing Champions League qualification alongside Manchester Metropolis, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.
Three groups presently lie on 60 factors, with fifth-placed Chelsea presently holding the ultimate Champions League spot on purpose distinction. It’s squeaky-bum time for the Blues, who might be determined to return to Europe’s elite competitors after a few years within the wilderness of Convention League, and so on.
There may need been sore heads at the beginning of this week however don’t anticipate Liverpool to be off the tempo. Slot’s facet don’t have anything tangible left to play for however many gamers might be nervously wanting over their shoulders earlier than the summer time switch window opens, hoping to retain their place for subsequent season. The perimeter gamers might be underneath the best stress to make their mark, and Slot might discipline a good few of them at this time.
The Reds didn’t spend closely final yr in any respect, and the supervisor has already talked about he’s eyeing contemporary recruits.
It’s actually an intriguing match between two giants of the English recreation, though not for the conventional causes.
Kick-off: 4.30pm BST.
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