Liverpool had a disappointing day at the office, settling for a 1-1 draw vs. a Chelsea side that had lost their previous 6 EPL matches. Instead of giving you the typical “Three Things”, I decided to pay homage to the classic Western The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, because Liverpool had plenty of all three vs. Chelsea
The Good
Rio Ngumoha played really well, according to player ratings. He showed a lot of individual skill along with the ability to find an open teammate, as seen on Ryan Gravenberch’s early goal. Ngumoha also tracked back in defense when called upon. With the confirmed and rumored departures over the summer, Ngumoha is on track to be Liverpool’s next big star.
The Bad
The Centreback/ Fullback pairing. There were acres of space between players in the back. I’ll give Curtis Jones a bit of a pass because it’s not his natural position, but players like Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez know better. Andy Robertson would have been a better option to start, or at least come off the bench. If it had only happened one time, it would not have been that big a deal. Getting beaten happens to the best players on occasion, but Chelsea continually got behind the back line, particularly in the first half.
The Ugly
I don’t want to say that all of Arne Slot’s decisions today were bad; they weren’t. But the call to pull Ngumoha off the pitch when he was playing well was ludicrous. The crowd let their displeasure be heard with a chorus of boos, and then they unleashed more at the end of the match. To be honest, they deserved it.
LFC Globe Verdict
With everything taken together as a whole package, a draw was probably a fair result, but Liverpool should be punishing a struggling Chelsea side with multiple goals, and it looked as if it was going to be that kind of day when Ryan Gravenberch scored. However, as has been their want all season, Liverpool took their foot off the gas. They did make a push in the second half, but it was not enough. They need to keep that intensity for the full 90.
Have Your Say
What were the best and worst bits from today’s game? Let us know below.