Liverpool vs Chelsea

FT:1-1

Goals: Havertz 22′, Salah 45+3′ (P)

Saturday 28th of August

Anfield

So it was the first big clash of the Premier League season, apologies Spurs fans but Anfield on a Saturday night with the European Champions in town, is a real pointer for the season to come.

Lots of early sparring from both sides, and a goal from the very promising Kai Havertz proved an early set back for a determined Reds side. Who had set their stall out early, with some high tempo pressure and slick passing; attributes we have come to love from this Liverpool side.

Harvey Elliot is without question benefiting from his season in the championship.Reports from Blackburn have proved to emphasise, that even at eighteen he has the potential to hold his own. His passing and movement throughout the game was effective and certainly easy on the eye.

However, the big clash or talking point before the game was always going to be that, of Virgil Van Dijik versus Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgium has returned to Chelsea and the Premier league after a stellar spell in Italy.The £97.5m price tag creates a pressure all of its own for the 28-year-old. But, Lukaku looks the part and his performance at a sorrowful Arsenal, suggested much for any premiership central defender to contend with.

However, we are talking about Virgil Van Dijk here. Having returned back from the longest lay off in his career, the Dutchman is purring like the class act, that we all know and love him to be.

His positioning and physical presence offered, an early insight to the pattern of the game. Lukaku may have thought that playing off Joel Matip would offer him more opportunity, but Matip has the experience and the knowhow to deal with the most physical of forwards.

However, it was the exchanges between Van Dijk and Lukaku, that the Anfield crowd enjoyed the most.The Dutchman has the innate ability to position himself and impose himself on opposition forwards.

He has the ability to deny space and time to opponents, which creates a sense of comfort that feeds throughout the team. This allows the more expressive players in the side to focus on hurting the opposition.

Last year, we all watched as the team struggled with the ability to defend and we were always concerned about oppositions hurting us. Now with the return of the 30-year-old, we can now focus on our game; which is making the opposition worry with the comfort that any counterattack can be managed.

Some pundits questioned why the Reds failed to breakdown, a 10 man Chelsea team during a 45 minute period but the reality is that Chelsea parked the bus and the van that had the kit in it!

It was attack versus defence and make no mistake a team that secured a 1-0 win in the Champions League final against Manchester City has some real defensive know-how.

The Reds have cut their teeth and shown much of their Premiership winning qualities. The season looks very bright and whilst many have questioned the lack of reinforcements in this transfer window for Liverpool. Particularly, after the much lamented departure of our beloved Gini Wijnaldum, we need to accept that Jurgen feels this team has not met its potential and that many recruits such as the Ox, and Keita have much more to contribute.

So the signs are positive and stability seems to have returned to the foundation of the team, welcome back Virgil you have been missed!

Categories: Uncategorized