Fernandez On Target As Chelsea, Liverpool Share Point
Enzo Fernandez cancelled out Ryan Gravenberch’s strike at a restless Anfield as Liverpool were held by a Chelsea side whose run of six consecutive Premier League defeats came to an end.
A point for Liverpool edged them closer to securing Champions League football for next season, but the Anfield crowd were unimpressed at times, with loud boos heard when head coach Arne Slot took off teenage winger Rio Ngumoha in the second half, and they were audible again at the final whistle.
Playmaker Florian Wirtz was absent with a stomach bug as Slot made three changes from the Liverpool side that lost at Manchester United last weekend. For Chelsea, interim boss Calum McFarlane made five changes following the defeat at home by Nottingham Forest.
Liverpool started strongly, with Gravenberch finishing in style with a curling shot high into the net from the edge of the penalty area after he was teed up by Ngumoha.
After gaining that early lead, Liverpool were guilty of letting Chelsea back into the game. The visitors grew in confidence as the first half went on, with Giorgi Mamardashvili forced to make a save from Marc Cucurella.
With 10 minutes to go before half-time, the equaliser came when Fernandez’s free-kick evaded everyone and ended up in the back of the net.
Fernandez nearly gave Chelsea the lead shortly after going level, and Chelsea thought they did have the lead after the break when Cole Palmer found the net, but the goal was disallowed as Cucurella was ruled offside in the build-up.
That decision woke up Liverpool and they looked to have scored when Curtis Jones headed in.
But that goal was also ruled out, with Cody Gakpo – who headed the ball across to Jones – having been in an offside position. A minute later, Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai forced Filip Jorgensen to make a good save.
Slot introduced striker Alexander Isak off the bench in the 67th minute but it was the decision to take off Ngumoha, who had been one of the few bright sparks for Liverpool, that led to fury from many supporters. It later emerged Ngumoha had been troubled by cramp.
Neither side could find a winner. Liverpool went closest, with Szoboszlai hitting the post with a strike from distance before Virgil van Dijk rattled the crossbar with a header.
