Liverpool 4-1 Chelsea: Conor Bradley stars with first Premier League goal as Reds claim emphatic win at Anfield
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Updated 31/01/2024 at 23:43 GMT
Youngster Conor Bradley starred with his first goal for Premier League leaders Liverpool in a dominant 4-1 victory over Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday. Diogo Jota opened the scoring before the 20-year-old doubled the hosts’ lead with an excellent strike. Bradley then claimed a fine assist for Dominik Szoboszlai, as Luis Diaz added a fourth after Christopher Nkunku’s consolation.
Conor Bradley of Liverpool celebrates after scoring the second goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC.
Image credit: Getty Images
Liverpool cruised five points clear at the top of the Premier League on Wednesday with a comfortable 4-1 win over Chelsea at Anfield.
Chelsea offered little resistance as the high-octane pressing of Jurgen Klopp’s team caught them in possession several times, and they were repeatedly punished in full.
Outside of that Darwin Nunez missed a penalty and hit the woodwork four times in total, as a lacklustre Chelsea were picked apart.
An impressive showing from Conor Bradley was topped off with a first goal for Liverpool and an assist for Dominic Szoboszlai. Diogo Jota was also a thorn in Chelsea's side and scored the opener after more good work from Bradley.
Christopher Nkunku snuck in a goal with just under 20 minutes to go to give Chelsea the faintest glimmer of hope, but Nunez set up Luis Diaz soon after to seal the victory.
Liverpool will now face Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday, in a game that could be crucial to the outcome of the title race.
TALKING POINT - Reds overcome distraction
Liverpool look focused on the tasks at hand. When Klopp stunned football and signalled the imminent end of his time in charge at Anfield last Friday, the timing as much as anything was a shock. Liverpool had just made it to a cup final and were then as now sat atop the Premier League table.
It’s happening though, and there will be a very big hole at Anfield come the summer. With that knowledge it would be easy for Liverpool to get distracted on a sea of emotion and gratitude, as their matches left with Klopp in charge at Anfield decrease steadily to zero.
The evidence so far though is that this surely inevitable distraction is in delayed post. The games in the immediate aftermath against Norwich and now Chelsea have been negotiated, and it is a long, long time until May. That month could represent several opportunities to mark Klopp’s parting with silverware, but for that to happen it’s imperative that Liverpool keep their focus in order to put themselves in that position.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Conor Bradley (Liverpool)
The right-back position at Liverpool is assumed to be already locked down long term, but if Bradley keeps taking opportunities and turning in performances like this, he will give Klopp – and whoever follows – a very happy headache indeed. A barnstorming, high-octane performance tonight was marked by a decisive hand in two goals and the cherry of scoring his first for the club.
PLAYER RATINGS
Liverpool: Alisson 6; Bradley 8, Konate 6, Van Dijk 7, Gomez 6; Jones 6, Mac Allister 7, Szoboszlai 7; Jota 8, Nunez 7, Diaz 7. Subs: Gakpo 6, Elliott 6, Robertson 7, Clark 6, Alexander-Arnold 6
Chelsea: Petrovic 6; Disasi 6, Silva 5, Badiashile 5, Chilwell 5; Fernandez 6, Caicedo 6, Gallagher 6; Madueke 5, Palmer 6, Sterling 5. Subs: Gusto 6, Casadei 6, Chukwuemka 7, Mudryk 6, Nkunku 7
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
23' GOAL! LIVERPOOL 1-0 CHELSEA: It's been coming. Chilwell gives it away again, and Bradley piles into the Chelsea half on the right. He feeds the ball to Jota, central and 25 yards out. Jota drives at the gap between Thiago Silva and Badiashile, and bulldozes through it before tucking a low shot past Petrovic.
39' GOAL! LIVERPOOL 2-0 CHELSEA: What a beauty this is! Liverpool win it in the centre circle, and Diaz switches it to Bradley, bursting into space through the inside right channel. He makes it into the area and, from a wide angle, blasts a shot across goal and into the far corner.
45+2' PENALTY MISSED! Crikey! Nunez sends Petrovic definitively the wrong way, but lifts his shot onto the right hand post and out!
65' GOAL! LIVERPOOL 3-0 CHELSEA: This is a gorgeous goal. Firstly, Van Dijk switches play with a glorious raking ball to Bradley, some 50 yards in distance. Bradley takes it down, ghosts past Badiashile and then plants a perfect cross to the six yard box. Szoboszlai arrives to thump a header past Petrovic, and that's surely the match.
71' GOAL! LIVERPOOL 3-1 CHELSEA 1: Oh hello! Chukwuemka drives forward with intent, and finds Nkunku in the box. Nkunku spins into a shooting position 12 yards out, and drags a low shot in off the far post with Alisson rooted!
79' GOAL! LIVERPOOL 4-1 CHELSEA: They're really looking like a potential title-winning side tonight. Nunez escapes a tackle by Thiago Silva, and cuts down the left side of the area. His cross to the back post is low and perfect, and Diaz arrives to add a fourth.
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