Chelsea v Liverpool (2019-20)

Chelsea v Liverpool (2019-20)

Chelsea Liverpool 1 2
HT:0–2 Report
Event	Premier League 2019-20
Date	Sunday 22 September 2019
Venue	Stamford Bridge, London
Player of the Match	N'Golo Kante
Referee	Michael Oliver
Attendance	40,638
Weather	18 °C (65 °F)
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Chelsea v Liverpool was a match which took place at the Stamford Bridge on Sunday 22 September 2019.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says his side do not have to compete with Manchester City's style as the two clubs battle at the top of the Premier League.

The Reds were not at their attacking best at Chelsea on Sunday but earned a 2-1 win to maintain their five-point lead over City at the top.

Pep Guardiola's side, meanwhile, swept aside Watford 8-0 on Saturday.

"This type of football not a lot of teams can play," said Klopp.

"But we play in our way, we try to win football games.

"In the end we need to get the points, there is no competition in technical things, it is about the points."

Klopp's title pace-setters looked on course to win in comfort as Trent Alexander-Arnold's magnificent free-kick and Roberto Firmino's header gave them complete control at the interval.

Chelsea, who had been denied an equaliser when Cesar Azpilicueta's close-range effort was ruled out for offside by VAR, were in no mood to capitulate and made Liverpool fight every inch of the way to maintain that perfect record.

Tammy Abraham had chances to increase his tally of seven goals this season, particularly when he was denied by Liverpool keeper Adrian when clean through in the first half, but it was left to N'Golo Kante to set up a grandstand finish with a superb strike with 19 minutes to play.

Liverpool, however, held on, surviving missed chances from Michy Batshuayi and Mason Mount, to take the three points.

"It's a difficult place to come, it's a while ago that we won here. It's a big win," Klopp added.

"The boys did really well, they fought really hard. I don't think there is any other way to win here. It's a big win."

Liverpool remain unstoppable in their Premier League duel with Manchester City after one of those victories all potential champions will need to secure if they are to claim the big prize at the end of the season.

Jurgen Klopp's side have made a habit of unleashing an attacking blitz on opponents in a remarkable run of only one league loss since the start of last season, their winning sequence now extended to 15 games.

This was totally different.

Liverpool may have looked to have been on cruise control with that interval advantage, but Chelsea were always in this game and pressed the league leaders right until the final whistle.

They were far below their best, were more sloppy than usual and on occasions looked jaded - but they still emerged victorious from what is traditionally one of the most hazardous away assignments on the calendar.

Over the course of a long campaign, a season Liverpool will hope will end their 30-year wait for the title, it is victories on days such as this that will be vital, if not more so, than the days when opponents are blown away.

Klopp's delight at the final whistle, in contrast to some of his expressions of fury during the game, said it all.

This was a crucial victory. Liverpool's bandwagon rolls on.

Chelsea have still to win at home in the Premier League and Champions League this season, and no defeat by Liverpool is anything other than an acutely painful experience.

And yet, despite this loss coming hard on the heels of the home defeat by Valencia in their opening Champions League group game, Chelsea manager Frank Lampard will take great comfort and confidence from the performance of his team.

This is a new Chelsea, leaning heavily on youngsters such as Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori and Abraham, and being built in a new style by Lampard.

When Liverpool went two up through Firmino's header after poor marking at a free-kick, the goal coming moments after Azpilicueta's apparent equaliser had been overruled by VAR, it would have been easy for Chelsea's heads to drop.

Nothing could have been further from the truth as they pressed and pressurised Liverpool until the final whistle before receiving a warm and appreciative ovation from the Chelsea supporters.

Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga may have kept them in it with a magnificent save from Firmino but Chelsea, driven by the magnificent Kante, were left cursing those late missed opportunities for Batshuayi and Mount that could have earned them a point.

No Chelsea defeat is easy to take, especially against Liverpool, but this was a performance that will give Lampard hope and encouragement.

Match

Details

22 September 2019 16:30 GMT	Chelsea	1–2	Liverpool	Stamford Bridge, London Attendance: 40,638 Referee: Michael Oliver
	Kanté  71'	HT:0–2 Report	Alexander-Arnold  14' Firmino  30'

Chelsea

Liverpool

01 Kepa Arrizabalaga 28 César Azpilicueta 04 Andreas Christensen 42' 29 Fikayo Tomori 33 Emerson 15' 07 N'Golo Kanté 05 Jorginho 17 Mateo Kovačić 10 Willian 09 Tammy Abraham 77' 19 Mason Mount Substitutes: 03 Marcos Alonso 15' 08 Ross Barkley 11 Pedro 13 Willy Caballero 15 Kurt Zouma 42' 22 Christian Pulisic 23 Michy Batshuayi 77' Manager: Frank Lampard

13 Adrián 66 Trent Alexander-Arnold 32 Joël Matip 04 Virgil van Dijk 26 Andrew Robertson 05 Georginio Wijnaldum 03 Fabinho 14 Jordan Henderson 84' 11 Mohamed Salah 90+2' 09 Roberto Firmino 10 Sadio Mané 71' Substitutes: 07 James Milner 71' 12 Joe Gomez 90+2' 15 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 20 Adam Lallana 84' 23 Xherdan Shaqiri 24 Rhian Brewster 62 Caoimhin Kelleher Manager: Jürgen Klopp

Man of the Match: N'Golo Kante Assistant referees: Stuart Burt Simon Bennett Fourth official: Kevin Friend

Match rules 90 minutes, no extra time or penalties. Three points awarded to winner, none to loser. One point awarded to each in the event of a draw. Seven named substitutes Maximum of three substitutions

Match Stats

• Match Stats

Overall	Chelsea	Liverpool
Goals scored	1	2
Total shots	13	6
Shots on target	2	3
Ball possession	55%	45%
Corner kicks	6	4
Fouls committed	8	13

See also

• 2019-20 Premier League: Match day 6

External links

• Match report at BBC.co.uk
• Match report at Premier League.com

Chelsea F.C. matches - 2019-20

2019-20 Premier League

Manchester United (a) · Liverpool (h) · Tottenham Hotspur (a) · Arsenal (a) · Arsenal (h) · Leicester City (a) · Everton (h) · Manchester City (h) · Wolverhampton Wanderers (h)

2019-20 FA Cup

Nottingham Forest (h) · Hull City (a) · Liverpool (h) · Leicester City (a) · Manchester United (n) · Arsenal (n)

2019-20 EFL Cup

Grimsby Town (h) · Manchester United (h)

2019–20 UEFA Champions League

Valencia (h) · Lille (a) · Ajax (a) · Ajax (h) · Valencia (a) · Lille (h) · Bayern Munich (h) · Bayern Munich (a)

2019–20 UEFA Super Cup

Liverpool (n)