Chelsea and Liverpool shared points as they settled for a goalless draw at Anfield in a hotly-contested Premier League clash.
Jurgen Klopp made three changes to the team that eliminated Wolves from the FA Cup at Molineux Stadium.
Allison, Robertson, and Mohamed Salah returned to the staring lineup. Kelleher, Tsimika, and Darwin were benched with Bajcetic making his first Premier League appearance.
Graham Potter introduced only one change to the team that won against Crystal Palace. Marc Cucurella returned to the starting lineup while Chukwuemeka was dropped to the bench.
Starting Lineup
Liverpool: Alisson; James Milner, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, Andy Robertson; Naby Keita, Stefan Bajcetic, Thiago Alcantara; Harvey Elliott, Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo.
Chelsea: Kepa Arrizabalaga; Trevoh Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Benoit Badiashile, Marc Cucurella; Conor Gallagher, Jorginho; Hakim Ziyech, Mason Mount, Lewis Hall; Kai Havertz.
It was a dire encounter for both teams, who seemed to have fallen off the top-four race. The outcome of the game would determine who is keen on staying aloof in the top four race.
The statistics favor Liverpool. They have lost only two of their last 15 Premier League matches against Chelsea, winning 6, and drawing 7.
Chelsea perfectly held the danger upfront and blew open Liverpool middle three. From the start, the match was fast-paced allowing both sides to threaten each other with counter attacks.
Chelsea appeared more composed than Liverpool with the ball, but still had to foiled threats by Gody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah upfront.
Thiago Silva, Chalobah, and Badiashile were equal to the task, leaving no spaces for the Reds to exploit. Hence, the Reds failed to record an early attempt on goal unlike their opponents.
The pace of the game from the start exposed the flaws in each side, leaving the middle of the park porous and vulnerable to quick threats. The Blues were constantly coming under pressure despite dominating possession.
The return of Cucurella gave Chelsea an added defensive cover, allowing Hall to advance forward, and Elliot and Gakpo effectively exploited the loophole to give the Reds an attacking flair.
Chelsea showed an exceptional brilliance on the ball and were more coordinated than pass games throughout the first half.
They were the better side after the first 45 minutes and nearly took the lead in the third minute with Kai Havertz putting it pass Allison Becker but the goal was ruled out after VAR check.
A hotly contested first half saw the match end goalless, with Chelsea holding sway over ball possession and recording two shots on target while Liverpool had only one shot on target.
Despite playing second fiddle to the Blues, the Reds were more threatening upfront and gave nothing away when surging forward.
Chelsea still dominated the game in the second half and were looking more threatening while charging forward.
They completed more passes in the Liverpool half but managed only one more attempt on goal with the second half far spent.
LIverpool continued to rely on counter attacks and were more deadly than their opponents when launching offensives.
The Reds recorded two more attempts on target in the second half and mounted heavy pressure on Chelsea back three.
Graham Potter brought on new signing from Shakhtar Donetsk Mykhailo Mudryk. Mudryk displayed flashes of his brilliance and missed a good chance to put the Blues ahead.
The match ended goalless with both sides unable to find the back of the net after the final whistle.
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