67'
Chelsea quickly try to push forward from the restart with a lofted pass
that's thumped up towards the edge of the Liverpool penalty area. It
manages to pick out Hazard, but the Belgian, who hasn't looked quite
right since being caught by a late tackle earlier in the second half,
can't control the ball and knocks it behind for a goal-kick.
G. Wijnaldum
D. Sturridge
66' Sturridge makes his way off the pitch to be replaced by Georginio Wijnaldum in Liverpool's first change of the evening.
A. Oxlade-Chamberlain
Assist
65'
That was good play by Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has impressed tonight. He
linked up well with Coutinho on the edge of the visitors' penalty area
and perfectly picked out Salah in front of goal.
Mohamed Salah
Goal
65'
GOAL! Salah fires Liverpool in the lead! Chelsea lose possession just
inside their own half of the pitch and allow the home side to push
forward quickly. They work the ball around really nice before
Oxlade-Chamberlain pokes a pass through to Salah, who rushes onto it
inside the box before slotting a lovely strike under Courtois.
63'
Great block by Azpilicueta! Salah picks up the ball on the edge of the
Chelsea box and spins quickly before teeing up Sturridge. The striker
immediately unleashes a thumping strike, but Azpilicueta is there to
throw his body in the way of the effort and block the shot.
62'
Morata goes close again! More good play by Chelsea sees them take
advantage of the space available deep down the right flank. This time
it's Drinkwater who fires in a great cross, but the ball ends up
deflecting off both Klavan and Morata before bouncing behind for a
goal-kick.
60'
Almost a great chance for Morata! Salah loses the ball on the halfway
line and Chelsea counter-attack quickly. Hazard bursts through the
middle of the pitch on a wonderful run before setting up Zappacosta out
wide. The Italian immediately fizzes a dangerous pass across the face of
goal, where Morata tries to latch onto the ball but can't quite do so
at the far post.
58'
The hosts scream for a penalty, but nothing is given! More good play by
Liverpool ends with Sturridge on the right-hand side of the Chelsea
penalty area. He cuts inside and quickly chips a pass over towards
Salah, but it seems to strike Cahill's arm before it can reach the
Egyptian. Several of the players around the referee appeal for a
penalty, but the man in charge isn't at all interested and allows play
to go on.
56'
Liverpool are enjoying a decent spell of possession as they work the
ball around the Chelsea half of the pitch. The Blues' midfield is
starting to get slightly stretched, and the home side are doing well to
pick out pockets of space in dangerous areas.
54'
Coutinho's cross in from the corner is a really good one and perfectly
picks out Matip, who pulls off a bullet header that can't quite find a
way through the group of defenders camped just in front of him.
53'
Coutinho spins round Bakayoko and gets caught by the Frenchman,
resulting in a free-kick for Liverpool in a promising position 30 yards
away from goal. Coutinho steps up and shoots, but his thumping effort
hits the top of the Chelsea wall and deflects behind for yet another
corner.
51'
Liverpool's second corner is easily dealt with by Chelsea, who then fly
forward on a decent counter-attack through Morata. The Spaniard does
well to shake off two players before teeing up Zappacosta, who charges
down the right wing and wins a corner. It's curled into the box and
picks out Cahill, who rises high but can't hit the target with his
header.
50'
The corner is whipped into the heart of the penalty area and deflects
over to Salah, who quickly shoots. The Egyptian can't guide his shot
through the sea of blue camped in front of him, however, and he has to
settle for another corner instead.
49'
Almost a costly mistake by Courtois! Sturridge twists and turns over on
the left-hand side of the Chelsea box before dinking a deft but tame
pass over towarsd the far post. There's nobody there to meet it and
should be easily dealt with by Courtois, but, somehow, the goalkeeper
ends up fumbling the ball behind for a corner.
48'
Bakayoko muscles his way down the left wing and wins Chelsea the first
corner of the second half. It's sent short and worked over to Kante, who
tries to swing in a cross from just outside of the penalty area but is
quickly closed down and has to settle for a throw-in instead.
46' We're underway once again!
The two teams are making their way back out on to the pitch ahead of
the start of the second half. Neither side have made any substitutions
during the half-time break.
It's been a really interesting contest so far, and it's one in which
Liverpool have arguably been the better of the two sides - but only
just. They've impressed inside the final third of the pitch, where Salah
has caused all sorts of problems when cutting in from the right, but at
the other end Chelsea have also carved out a few decent chances of
their own. Hazard has looked bright whenever he's on the ball, while
both Alonso and Zappacosta have too often been left in pockets of space
when attacking.
HALF-TIME: LIVERPOOL 0-0 CHELSEA
45' + 1'
Liverpool try to push forward on one final attacking move as they
attempt to carve out a late chance on goal. Salah causes more problems
down the right flank and seems to be fouled by Cahill, but the referee
doesn't agree and instead brings an end to what has been a fascinating
first half.
45' The fourth official has indicated that there will be just one minute of added time.
43'
Coutinho goes down inside the penalty area, but nothing is given!
Liverpool quickly push forward after the corner is comfortably dealt
with by Mignolet. A curling cross is only half dealt with and loops over
to Coutinho, who tries to latch onto the ball but is seemingly pushed
aside by Hazard. The home players and fans scream for a penalty, but the
referee isn't at all interested and waves play on.
42'
It's been a tough first half for Morata, who has struggled to find much
joy inside the final third of the pitch but is starting to get more
involved in the game now. He picks up the ball in a pocket of space 25
yards away from goal and quickly shoots, and his thumping effort takes a
slight deflection off Matip that results in a corner for Chelsea.
41'
What a chance for Salah! The Egyptian has certainly been Liverpool's
best player so far, and he's been giving the Chelsea back line plenty to
think about. He does really well to shake off Cahill before spinning
and shooting from the penalty area, but his curling effort bounces
agonisingly wide of the far post after beating Thibaut Courtois.
40'
Chelsea are enjoying a decent spell at the moment, with Zappacosta
constantly finding a lot of space out wide. This time he latches onto a
chipped cross from Alonso before volleying the ball across the face of
goal, but Klavan is there to knock it behind for a corner that Morata
can only nod high over the crossbar.
38'
Zappacosta does well to skip down the right wing after a bit of space
opens up for the Italian. He then cuts inside and sets up Bakayoko to
poke a pass into the Liverpool penalty area, where Hazard rushes towards
the ball but can't find a way in front of Klavan.
36'
Salah is pulled back by Alonso as he tries to spin round the wing-back,
and Liverpool are awarded a free-kick in a promising position out wide.
Coutinho's cross into the box is a good one, but it somehow manages to
miss everyone inside the penalty area before bouncing over to the left
flank.
34'
Ouch! Drinkwater tries to clear a bouncing ball over on the right wing
but ends up clattering into Moreno, sending the Spaniard flying up into
the air and crashing to the ground. A few of the Liverpool players ask
the referee to show the midfielder a yellow card, but instead he just
gives him a quick talking to.
32'
Morata tries to play a quick one-two with Bakayoko just outside of the
Liverpool box, but he's blocked off by Matip before he can receive the
ball back again and wins Chelsea a free-kick 25 yards away from goal.
Alonso steps up and unleashes a decent curling strike, but it ends up
flying just a yard or so wide of the near post.
30'
Alberto Moreno and Henderson sandwich Hazard as he tries to cut in from
the right flank, and Chelsea are awarded a free-kick in a promising
position. It's taken quickly and worked over to Alonso, who swings in a
cross from the left wing but can't quite pick out Alvaro Morata.
29'
Salah continues causing all sorts of problems for the Chelsea back line
as he showcases beautiful footwork inside the final third of the pitch.
He does really well to skip into the left-hand side of the penalty area
before cutting a pass back, but there's nobody there to meet it and the
visitors hold on once again.
27'
Salah makes a clever run into the heart of the Chelsea box as he tries
to latch onto a beautiful chipped pass from Philippe Coutinho, but he
can't quite reach it and loses out to Andreas Christensen. The Egyptian
is able to come back again, however, but once again Christensen is there
to deny him in front of goal.
25'
Liverpool try to push forward and get back on the front foot, but they
quickly lose possession and allow Chelsea to counter-attack once again.
This time it's Zappacosta to charges down the right wing, but he ends up
running out of ideas once he's inside the penalty area and loses out to
Ragnar Klavan.
24'
In a complete contrast to the start of the game, it's now Chelsea who
are on the front foot and constantly pushing forward. A thumping
Zappacosta shot is parried behind for another corner, which causes all
sorts of problems for Liverpool. The ball pinballs around the box and
looks set to fall to a blue shirt, but the home side are just about able
to hold on and clear the danger.
23'
What a chance for Danny Drinkwater! Hazard embarks on another great run
as he darts through the middle of the pitch and towards the Liverpool
box. He then pokes a wonderful pass though the home side's back line and
towards Drinkwater, who latches onto the ball but is put under pressure
by Mignolet and can't get a shot away.
22'
The set-piece fails to result in a chance on goal for the visitors and
allows Liverpool to break away on a counter-attack of their own, but
Sturridge is held up on the halfway line before being clattered into
from behind by N'Golo Kante, resulting in a free-kick for the hosts.
21'
Thumping strike by Hazard! A headed clearance from Joel Matip can only
find a blue shirt, allowing Chelsea to hit Liverpool on a quick
counter-attack. Hazard dances his way in from the left wing and
unleashes a low shot, and it's one that Simon Mignolet does well to push
round the near post and behind for a corner.
19'
Salah gets the better of Alonso as he continues to impress over on the
right wing. He manages to skip past the Spaniard before trying to play a
one-two with Jordan Henderson, but the midfielder's pass back is
slightly underhit and is well dealt with by Alonso on the edge of the
box.
17'
Clever play between Milner and Salah sets up the Egyptian to chip a
cross into the Chelsea penalty area from deep down the right flank. It
floats high into the air and almost drops to Oxlade-Chamberlain, who
rises high but can't get the better of Azpilicueta.
15'
Chance for Milner! Chelsea try to push forward once again, but an
attempted attacking move breaks down and the home side counter-attack
quickly. Oxlade-Chamberlain does well to sprint down the left flank
before firing a cross over to Milner, who shoots from the edge of the
box but can't hit the target with his slightly scuffed effort.
14'
It's been a slow start to the game for Chelsea, who have spent most of
it camped deep inside their own half of the pitch. They're eventually
able to push forward on a decent attacking move, however, and it almost
results in a chance on goal for Hazard, but the Belgian isn't on the
same wavelength as Tiemoue Bakayoko and the midfielder's pass rolls
harmlessly behind for a goal-kick.
12'
Liverpool embark a long period of possession as they move the ball from
one flank to the other really well. Alberto Moreno is eventually able
to dart into a pocket of space deep down the left wing before firing a
cross into the penalty area, but it's overhit and makes life difficult
for Milner, who loses out under pressure from Marcos Alonso.
10'
Sturridge picks up a bouncing ball on the edge of the Chelsea box and,
with his back to goal, knocks the ball back to Salah. He takes a quick
touch and then shoots from 20 yards out, but his effort is slightly
overhit and sails over the top of the crossbar.
8'
A slightly sloppy piece of play from Chelsea allows Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain to pick up possession ahead of Davide Zappacosta and
burst forward. The home side do well to work the ball over to Salah to
set him up to whip in a cross, but Cesar Azpilicueta is there to make
sure Sturridge can't reach the Egyptian's pass.
6'
James Milner threads a clever pass through a group of Chelsea
midfielders and towards Daniel Sturridge on the edge of the visitors'
penalty area. The striker takes a quick touch and then tries to find a
way past Gary Cahill, but he's unable to do so and ends up losing out to
the centre-back.
4'
Chelsea quickly make their way down the right wing and manage to win
themselves the first corner of the game. It's curled in by Eden Hazard
and swiftly makes it way back to the Belgian, who then fires a
side-footed volley across the face of goal that fails to pick out a
team-mate.
2'
After an even start to the game from both sides, it's Liverpool who
push forward on the first attack of the evening. Mohamed Salah charges
through the middle of the pitch on a marauding run before getting a shot
away from the edge of the box, but he can't curl it through a sea of
blue shirts and it's comfortably blocked.
1' We're off! Liverpool get us underway, attacking from right to left.
The two sides are making their way out onto the pitch, with just a few
minutes to go until kick-off. The atmosphere inside the stadium is
electric, with both sets of fans in fine voice.
Meanwhile, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has made just one alteration to
the team that featured against West Brom, with Danny Drinkwater coming
into the squad to replace Cesc Fabregas and make his first Premier
League start for the Blues.
Jurgen Klopp has decided to make five changes to the Liverpool side
that beat Southampton last weekend, with Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, James
Milner, Daniel Sturridge and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain coming into the
starting line-up to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dejan Lovren,
Georginio Wijnaldum, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, respectively.
There's also a place on the substitutes' bench for Adam Lallana, who
hasn't featured in a competitive game all season due to injury.
Chelsea substitutes: Caballero, Rudiger, Luiz, Moses, Fabregas, Pedro, Willian.
Chelsea XI (3-5-1-1): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill;
Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Kante, Bakayoko, Alonso; Hazard; Morata.
Liverpool substitutes: Karius, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Mane, Firmino.
Liverpool XI (4-3-3): Mignolet; Gomez, Matip, Klavan, Moreno; Milner,
Henderson, Coutinho; Salah, Sturridge, Oxlade-Chamberlain.
There’s just under 15 minutes left to go until kick-off, so let’s have a
look at how the two teams will be lining up this evening…
Games between these two sides have proved to be narrow and evenly
fought affairs in recent seasons, with three of the last five Premier
League meetings ending in draws. It’s now over three years since Chelsea
last beat Liverpool, with last season’s clash ending in a 1-1 draw.
However, the Reds haven’t won at home against the current reigning
champions since May 2012, when a disappointing season for both clubs was
as good as over.
Chelsea’s thumping at the hands of Roma at the end of last month was a
huge blow, but they managed to immediately bounce back with a win at
home to United and haven’t dropped a single point since then. Both
Qarabag and West Brom then found themselves on the end of 4-0 thrashings
against the Blues, who look determined to keep this winning run going
after starting the campaign slower than many expected.
It’s also been a good few weeks for Chelsea, who will extend their
domestic winning run to five games if they’re able to find a way past
the in-form Reds this evening. Tottenham’s draw against West Brom means
they can put some much-needed distance between themselves and the north
London club with a win today, and it’ll also keep them breathing down
the neck of Manchester United, who will remain just one point in front
if they're victorious.
They’ll have to quickly recover from Thursday’s debacle in Andalusia,
mind. Despite going 3-0 up, Liverpool had to settle for a 3-3 draw after
totally collapsing in the second half, denying them the opportunity to
progress to the last-16 as group winners. Once again, they were undone
by less-than-stellar defending, but they’ve impressed at home in the
league in recent months, where they’ve shipped just one goal in eight
games.
A run of three consecutive Premier League victories - coupled with
Tottenham Hotspur’s disappointing 1-1 draw at home to West Bromwich
Albion earlier today - means Liverpool head into today’s big clash just
two points outside the top four and with only one defeat from their last
11 games across all competitions. After a slightly shaky start to the
season, the Reds certainly are starting to give the sides above them
plenty to think about.
Good afternoon and welcome to our live text commentary of today’s
Premier League game between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield.
