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A 0-0 draw between two mid-table sides Premier League teams played in a match that was very average in quality.
Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea
Premier League (19), Anfield
January 21, 2023
I have nothing to shout about
Previous incarnations of Liverpool have excited fans and kept them entertained throughout the match with their high press, high line and intense play.
The current Liverpool have gone for something safer and in their attempts to be more compact and hard to break down, they have sacrificed some of that edge-of-the-seat excitement.
This isn’t heavy metal football anymore. Although there were occasional quick passes, Liverpool also struggled to be a team that broke down opponents in possession.
At the beginning of the second half, there were noticeable changes. During the first ten minutes of this period, Chelsea played in the half-court in front of the Kop, but soon moved into a lower block after the visitors regained the ball a little.
With no pressure and little probing possession, Jurgen Klopp’s side are unrecognizable as the Liverpool of old and could make the game less interesting as a result.
Hopefully once they get out of that rut they can start playing heavy metal again.
Mixing things up
Klopp went with a team that raised a few eyebrows ahead of kick-off, sticking with a number of players who featured in the FA Cup replay in midweek, defeating Wolves.
Harvey Elliott was used in an unfamiliar position on the left, while Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo could also be more effective in different positions (Gakpo on the left, Salah in the center and Elliott on the right).
It also meant that the bench was strong enough and Darwin Nunes and Trent Alexander-Arnold were capable of changing the course of the game.
Nunes came on the field after an hour of play and Alexander-Arnold — ten minutes later. The former made Gakpo more dangerous and gave more speed to the attack, but none of the substitutions on either side could change the situation in the end.
Liverpool’s best midfielder?
It wasn’t always the most convincing performance from Liverpool’s midfield trio, but Thiago, Stefan Baisetic and Naby Keita each showed individual skills.
Given the erratic performances of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho of late, these players more than deserve their place in the squad.
There would be arguments in favor of Fabinho offering some height, but at the moment they are not losing much by having the Brazilian and the captain on the bench.
Is the trio of Baisetic, Keita and Thiago the best? Liverpool midfield at the moment? Probably.
However, young Baisetic has certainly shown that he is one of the most effective midfielders at the club at the moment and given his selection for such an important game, Klopp seems to agree with him.
The manager said of the 18-year-old before the game: “He deserved it. He made huge strides with us. Imagine if I hadn’t played with him today.
“What does a football player have to do to play? It was clear.”
Gakpo misses his chance(s)
The Liverpool rookie had several opportunities to shoot at goal but, after showing some pressure and impatience, took his chances.
The first looked like a good opportunity after Salah cut the ball back into the box from the wing. Gakpo improperly assumed the shape of the body, leaned back and hit the stands.
It would be unfair to call his second strike a good chance, but nevertheless his execution of a shot from outside the penalty area can still be appreciated. He had time to level the shot and blast it to the Anfield Road end.
Despite being considered good odds, Infogol pegged these shots at an xG of 0.05 and 0.04 respectively.
A header in the second half when he didn’t let the ball into a better position predictably finished, but later the turn and shot showed promise.
The power he gets in the punches is encouraging. A little more composure and attention to his technique and those shots can trouble goalkeepers wherever they are hit.
The battle for mid-table
These two teams will expect big matches in the Champions League next month, but given their current positions in the table, they may not be in the competition next season.
It was billed as more of a mid-table battle, which it really is, due to the size and reputation of both teams, but it ended up being a messy mid-table affair.
None of the starting midfielders recorded a transfer efficiency of more than 85%, not even the technical Thiago and Jorginho.
The wind didn’t help, but this game still lacked quality and clearly showed the current position of these teams in the Premier League and that it is not fake.
A 0-0 draw between two mid-table sides Premier League teams played in a match that was very average in quality.
Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea
Premier League (19), Anfield
January 21, 2023
I have nothing to shout about
Previous incarnations of Liverpool have excited fans and kept them entertained throughout the match with their high press, high line and intense play.
The current Liverpool have gone for something safer and in their attempts to be more compact and hard to break down, they have sacrificed some of that edge-of-the-seat excitement.
This isn’t heavy metal football anymore. Although there were occasional quick passes, Liverpool also struggled to be a team that broke down opponents in possession.
At the beginning of the second half, there were noticeable changes. During the first ten minutes of this period, Chelsea played in the half-court in front of the Kop, but soon moved into a lower block after the visitors regained the ball a little.
With no pressure and little probing possession, Jurgen Klopp’s side are unrecognizable as the Liverpool of old and could make the game less interesting as a result.
Hopefully once they get out of that rut they can start playing heavy metal again.
Mixing things up
Klopp went with a team that raised a few eyebrows ahead of kick-off, sticking with a number of players who featured in the FA Cup replay in midweek, defeating Wolves.
Harvey Elliott was used in an unfamiliar position on the left, while Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo could also be more effective in different positions (Gakpo on the left, Salah in the center and Elliott on the right).
It also meant that the bench was strong enough and Darwin Nunes and Trent Alexander-Arnold were capable of changing the course of the game.
Nunes came on the field after an hour of play and Alexander-Arnold — ten minutes later. The former made Gakpo more dangerous and gave more speed to the attack, but none of the substitutions on either side could change the situation in the end.
Liverpool’s best midfielder?
It wasn’t always the most convincing performance from Liverpool’s midfield trio, but Thiago, Stefan Baisetic and Naby Keita each showed individual skills.
Given the erratic performances of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho of late, these players more than deserve their place in the squad.
There would be arguments in favor of Fabinho offering some height, but at the moment they are not losing much by having the Brazilian and the captain on the bench.
Is the trio of Baisetic, Keita and Thiago the best? Liverpool midfield at the moment? Probably.
However, young Baisetic has certainly shown that he is one of the most effective midfielders at the club at the moment and given his selection for such an important game, Klopp seems to agree with him.
The manager said of the 18-year-old before the game: “He deserved it. He made huge strides with us. Imagine if I hadn’t played with him today.
“What does a football player have to do to play? It was clear.”
Gakpo misses his chance(s)
The Liverpool rookie had several opportunities to shoot at goal but, after showing some pressure and impatience, took his chances.
The first looked like a good opportunity after Salah cut the ball back into the box from the wing. Gakpo improperly assumed the shape of the body, leaned back and hit the stands.
It would be unfair to call his second strike a good chance, but nevertheless his execution of a shot from outside the penalty area can still be appreciated. He had time to level the shot and blast it to the Anfield Road end.
Despite being considered good odds, Infogol pegged these shots at an xG of 0.05 and 0.04 respectively.
A header in the second half when he didn’t let the ball into a better position predictably finished, but later the turn and shot showed promise.
The power he gets in the punches is encouraging. A little more composure and attention to his technique and those shots can trouble goalkeepers wherever they are hit.
The battle for mid-table
These two teams will expect big matches in the Champions League next month, but given their current positions in the table, they may not be in the competition next season.
It was billed as more of a mid-table battle, which it really is, due to the size and reputation of both teams, but it ended up being a messy mid-table affair.
None of the starting midfielders recorded a transfer efficiency of more than 85%, not even the technical Thiago and Jorginho.
The wind didn’t help, but this game still lacked quality and clearly showed the current position of these teams in the Premier League and that it is not fake.
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