Liverpool officially welcomed in the Jurgen Klopp-era with a memorable 3-1 win over the miserable reigning champions at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night.
The Reds’ new German manager continues to revitalise hopes around Merseyside, while opinion on the future of Jose Mourinho divides both Chelsea fans and Premier League onlookers.
Proceedings could not have begun more in favour of the hosts, who found the lead just five minutes into the match when a Cesar Azpilicueta cross was met by an unstoppable header from Ramires which shook the back of the net.
Even after taking a lead at home though, it still seemed as though Chelsea were lacking in confidence and instead of pursuing a further advantage, almost instantaneously reverted to the defensive mentality of last season and inviting far too much pressure upon the fragile back four. The momentum of the match was clearly changed on the stroke of halftime, with a trademark Phillipe Coutinho wonderstrike beating Asmir Begovic from outside the box.
Mourinho’s men would regret not pushing the pace when they had the lead, tiring quickly after the restart as Liverpool grew in confidence. With more than enough space to work with on the once-feared Stamford Bridge turf, Coutinho would net a second in the 74th minute and substitute Christian Benteke would seal another nightmare day for the ‘Special One’ with a late third goal for the Reds.
Formations
Mourinho’s team selection was another example of the manager trying to send a message to the players he are performing below their best, with holding-midfield duo Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas both starting on the bench despite being fully-fit. Ramires and veteran Jon Obi Mikel took up the spots, while a knock to the ribs was not enough to keep Diego Costa from the match. Azpilicueta, Kurt Zouma, Gary Cahill and John Terry remained the respective choices in defence.
Conversely, Jurgen Klopp was trying to find the right combination which would lead to more goals for Liverpool, with the majority of his hitmen either sidelined, or just returning from injury. The only change to the starting XI came as the Divock Origi experiment in the striking role saw an end, with playmaker Roberto Firmino instead taking up a not-too unfamiliar false No.9 position.
Chelsea took to the field in the customary 4-2-3-1 formation, while Liverpool began in a 4-3-2-1 but switched as the game progressed.
Leaky defence cannot keep bus rolling
Seeing the Blues score early and maintain a lead for the rest of the match was not an uncommon occurrence last season, but considering the current circumstances it was a surprise that the hosts did not even attempt to add further punishment early on, while Liverpool clearly needed time to find their feet at Stamford Bridge. As if not learning anything from the previous 10 matches, Mourinho and his players attempted to ‘park the bus’ and invited pressure from the opposition, which proved to not work out so well when the backline is currently one of the worst performing in the league.
It took only the slightest moment of Coutinho magic to drain any confidence from the likes of Terry and Cahill that had been built up in the early minutes, leading them to commit the same costly errors in the second-half which resulted in the visitors scoring twice.
Not only did the defence suffer further embarrassment, there were few other moments in the match where Chelsea looked dangerous moving forward as the ball was constantly lost in the midfield – Eden Hazard having a particularly horrific shift amongst a forgettable season thus far
Klopp still making his mind up
Although every player in a Liverpool shirt has had a new spring to their step since Jurgen Klopp’s arrival at Anfield, the manager is still in the phase of finding which combination of personnel will not only bring results, but will promote his style of football at the club.
Yet to truly experience a Premier League fixture where his ‘Gegenpressing’ philosophy can fully be showcased, the German’s decision to start Firmino as the central-striker was an illustration of his desire for as much attacking pace as possible – yet one has the feeling he already has another forward setup in his mind to shape come the January transfer window.
Chelsea’s approach after taking the lead was broken down by attrition more so than work on the counter, with superb efforts in the second-half from Coutinho and James Milner creating holes on the wing which eventually provided avenues through to goal. For the second weekend in a row the physical presence of Benteke was utilised to full-effect, once again coming-off the bench to score within the last 15 minutes.
The Liverpool squad is no doubt adapting to Klopp, but the new manager will also have to adapt was has been a successful strategy to the physical and defensively-expert English top-flight.
Chelsea Conclusion
The early shock which accompanied Chelsea’s poor results since the start of 2015-16 seems to be wearing off among supporters as the realities of what can still be accomplished in the campaign begin to set in. Mourinho’s poor run is now a majorly-divisive topic, with some already fed-up with the current situation, while others stay reliant that this is a short-term cloud in the skies over West London.
A midweek European clash with Dynamo Kiev, then a second trip to Britiannia Park in as many weeks are the next tests ahead of the reigning champions and a floundering ‘Special One’ needs to find any way possible to light a spark among his team.
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Liverpool Conclusion
The rock-bottoms experienced under the reign of Brendan Rodgers are quickly becoming a faded memory as Jurgen Klopp stays undefeated since coming to the Premier League, also taking the Merseysiders to their first win on the Stamford Bridge soil since 2011. Despite a lack of striking options, Klopp’s influence has looked to give the team an attacking boost, with Benteke netting in back-to-back matches and Coutinho producing his best showing of the season. A trip to face Rubin Kazan awaits before Liverpool host Crystal Palace next weekend.
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