Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea: Mykhaylo Mudryk makes bright cameo from bench as Blues and Reds play out draw
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Updated 21/01/2023 at 19:48 GMT
Mykhaylo Mudryk emerged from the bench as Chelsea and Liverpool played out a draw at Anfield. The Ukrainian made a bright cameo from the bench – showing some flashes of what the Chelsea faithful can expect from their new signing – but was unable to turn a point into three for the London club. The result leaves Liverpool in eighth and Chelsea in 10th.
Mykhailo Mudryk of Chelsea reacts after a missed chance during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield on January 21, 2023 in Liverpool, England.
Image credit: Getty Images
Mykhaylo Mudryk impressed on his debut as Liverpool were held to a 0-0 draw by Chelsea at Anfield, leaving both sides firmly in mid-table in the Premier League.
Chelsea had the ball in the back of the net within two minutes, with Thiago Silva hitting the post and Kai Havertz slotting home the rebound. After the celebrations, VAR intervened, ruling out the goal due to Havertz’s offside position.
From there, both sides struggled to dominate the match, but Chelsea had the better chances. In the 22nd minute, Mason Mount slipped in Lewis Hall, whose shot from a tight angle flashed right across the face of goal and went wide. 10 minutes later, the away side saw Benoit Badiashile's header from close range saved by Alisson, who was crucial in Liverpool securing their first clean sheet in the Premier League since October.
New signing Cody Gakpo saw a lot of the ball for the home side, but of his seven shots, only one was on target, and he was unable to truly test Kepa Arrizabalaga nor inspire a lethargic Liverpool.
The second half saw a better start from Liverpool, but they were unable to sustain the pressure for long. Graham Potter's big-money signing Mudryk came on in the 55th minute and consistently got the better of Liverpool's back line, forcing Jurgen Klopp to bring on Trent Alexander Arnold for James Milner. The Ukrainian's best chance came as soon as he came on, weaving his way between several Liverpool defenders before hitting the side-netting.
Up next, Liverpool will head to Brighton for the fourth round of the FA Cup, while Chelsea face Fulham in the Premier League.
TALKING POINT - Where do we begin?
Despite the two sides’ recent success, it’s clear that they’re both in a rebuild era with each club needing different things.
Liverpool’s midfield is in dire need of a refresh. Despite Jurgen Klopp opting to rotate today, starting Naby Keita, Thiago, and youngster Stefan Bajcetic, it’s clear that that the middle of the pitch is disjointed. No matter who is playing, and who they are playing against, Liverpool’s midfield fail to act as a unit to protect the back and are unable to offer much going forward. This leaves an exposed back line, and an under-equipped forward line.
Chelsea, on the other hand, certainly need to find some time in training to work on their shooting. Of the two teams, the visitors had the better chances, but lack of quality has let them down in front of goal. Graham Potter now has a plethora of new signings, and he’ll need to get them up to speed quickly.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
A mid-table clash that lacked quality certainly did not have any standout players. Thiago Silva did well when called upon for Chelsea, with six clearances, three blocked shots, and three interceptions. The Brazilian consistently puts in good performances for his side, and at 38 years old, he rarely looks out of place.
Alisson did well for the hosts, and it’s scary to think about where Liverpool would be without him in between the sticks. With two saves, two punches, and two high claims, he was a difference-maker, facing tougher shots than his Chelsea counterpart, Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Mudryk also impressed on his debut, and Chelsea fans will hope that he can improve their side.
PLAYER RATINGS
Liverpool: Alisson 8, Milner 6, Konate 7, Gomez 7, Robertson 7, Bajcetic 6, Thiago 7, Keita 6, Elliott 6, Salah 7, Gakpo 6... Subs: Fabinho 6, Henderson 6, Jones 6, Tsimikas 6, Nunez 7, Alexander-Arnold 6.
Chelsea: Kepa 6, Chalobah 6, Silva 8, Badiashile 7, Hall 6, Jorginho 7, Gallagher 7, Cucurella 7, Ziyech 7, Havertz 7, Mount 7... Subs: Azpilicueta 6, Chukwuemeka 6, Mudryk 7, Aubameyang 6.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
3' - GOAL! LIVERPOOL 0-1 CHELSEA: IT'S AN EARLY GOAL FOR CHELSEA AWAY AT ANFIELD! Liverpool cannot deal with a corner, and after Silva hits the post, Havertz lashes in the rebound!
4' - HOLD ON HERE... VAR is looking at a possible off-side here. And it's been ruled OUT! The away fans are not happy, but it looks like Havertz had his foot off-side. NO GOAL!
22' - CHANCE FOR CHELSEA: Mount slips when Havertz gets him the ball, but Chelsea quickly win it back. Mount then lays off to Hall, whose shot flashes across the face of goal!
32' - CHELSEA CHANCE: From a free-kick, Chelsea's Badiashile heads it towards the net, but Alisson is there to block it, and Liverpool clear. Best chance of the match for Chelsea so far! And a big save from the Brazilian keeper!
49' - LIVERPOOL CHANCE: He's getting the chances, but he's just not converting. From a free-kick, Gakpo rises above everyone else, but his header from close range is above the bar. He really should be getting that on target!
68' - ANOTHER GAKPO SHOT: This one was at least looking like it was going on target. Nunez comes up with the ball and lays it off to the Dutchman, who spins and takes the shot, but Kepa saves. That's his seventh shot of the match, and the first one that was on target!
KEY STATS
- Liverpool have failed to win any of their last three Premier League games (D1 L2). It’s the first time they’ve failed to score in consecutive games in the competition since March 2021 against Fulham and Chelsea.
- Chelsea are now without a win in their last six Premier League games away from home (D3 L3). It's their longest run in the competition since September-December 2015 (D3 L4).
- Since his first season in the Premier League in 2019/20, no manager has overseen more goalless draws than Graham Potter (16), at least twice as many as any other manager.
- Since his debut for Liverpool on January 7th, no Premier League player has had more shots without scoring in all competitions than Cody Gakpo (12).
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