The recent struggles of Liverpool and Chelsea were on full display as the two teams played out a goalless draw in their Premier League fixture at Anfield on a cold afternoon on Saturday.
Despite an early goal disallowed for offside for Chelsea’s Kai Havertz, the game failed to ignite and both teams were left feeling unsatisfied. Read more: Report: Harry Kane open to joining Manchester United
One bright spot for Chelsea was the performance of new signing Mykhailo Mudryk, who made an impressive debut off the bench. The 22-year-old Ukrainian midfielder, who joined from Shakhtar Donetsk for £89m, had a number of opportunities to mark the occasion with a goal.
However, despite his efforts, the game ended in a draw.
On the other side, Liverpool newly recruited £45m forward Cody Gakpo was held quiet throughout the contest today. He managed to force one save from Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, but the Reds will be hoping for more from the Dutch attacker in the weeks to come.
The result leaves both teams locked level on points in the middle of the table. Liverpool are eight in the Premier League standings with 29pts, the same as Chelsea who are 10th.
Liverpool will be relieved to have ended their two-game losing streak in the Premier League, but Klopp’s side will be disappointed with their inability to secure a win at home.
Chelsea, on the other hand, will be frustrated by their inability to win away from home, with the team now on a run of six matches without a victory on the road in the competition.
“We had good spells but couldn’t keep it up,” Liverpool manager Klopp told BT Sport. “In the end, I’m OK with 0-0 because you have to accept these steps. We can build on that.”
Chelsea boss Graham Potter told BT Sport: “I thought the performance was good. Happy with the team, the energy, what we tried to do. At Anfield, it is always tough. It is a clean sheet and a point, we move forward.
TEAM NEWS
In terms of team news, Liverpool‘s teenager Stefan Bajcetic made his first Premier League start, while Trent Alexander-Arnold was named among the substitutes following a minor muscle problem. Chelsea made one change from their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, with Marc Cucurella coming in for Carney Chukwuemeka.
Despite the draw, both teams will be looking to improve their performances as the season progresses. Whether they can turn things around and push for a spot in the top four remains to be seen.
