The optimistic take is that Chelsea avoided equalling their worst run of league defeats since 1952 and warmed up nicely for next Saturday’s FA Cup final with a merited draw at Liverpool. Optimism, however, was thin on the ground at Anfield where boos greeted the full-time whistle and Arne Slot’s decision to introduce Alexander Isak for Rio Ngumoha. His team are crawling towards Champions League qualification with dissent for company.
Enzo Fernández’s fortunate free-kick cancelled out an early strike from Ryan Gravenberch in a mediocre contest between two teams enduring mediocre campaigns. The sound of Anfield captured Liverpool’s display to perfection. The acclaim for an early lead and dominant opening gave way to jeers and whistles by the 39th minute as an increasingly lax home performance invited Chelsea to take the initiative.
All the pre-match criticism aimed at Chelsea after a run of six successive league defeats was given further substance by their latest slow start – ambling around in cup final weather when the interim head coach, Calum McFarlane, had called for more urgency from the first whistle in response to last week’s defeat by Nottingham Forest, the visitors fell behind quickly. A fine finish it was too.
