This was another hot chapter in the rivalry between Liverpool and Chelsea, with the two English giants clashing in the 8th round of the Premier League, with Mohamed Salah spearheading the offence of the home team in an exciting 2-1 win at Anfield. With this result, Liverpool cements an excellent run this season, while Chelsea extend their winless streak against their red-clad rivals.
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Salah: the decisive star
What more is there to say about Mohamed Salah that isn't witnessed on the pitch? The Egyptian once again proved crucial for Liverpool, scoring from the spot and laying the assist for Curtis Jones' winner. Salah is well cemented as one of the most sparkling stars in recent Premier League history, with the numbers to support it. He has scored and provided an assist in 34 different PL games, with only Wayne Rooney scoring and assisting in more, at 36.
But the story of Salah's performance wasn't about the statistics. Chelsea-which had shown solid defensive form up until that point-simply couldn't contain the Egyptian playmaker. It was Salah who, in the 29th minute, opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Curtis Jones was brought down in the box by Colwill.
Chelsea showed signs of life, but it wasn't enough
While Liverpool looks to Salah for inspiration, Chelsea has been banking on Nicolas Jackson, and the forward didn't disappoint. Early in the second half, Jackson took advantage of a play by Caicedo and calmly finished past Kelleher to level the match. It was a glimmer of hope for the Blues, who had more possession but struggled with offensive inefficiency.
That's where the gulf between the two sides comes into sharp perspective. For all Chelsea's 88.1 percent passing accuracy-the best by any visiting team at Anfield since 2003/04-that fact counted for nothing. It's that old tale: sometimes, possession doesn't equal points, and Chelsea found that out the most brutal of manners.
Liverpool, with less of the ball, was more direct and clinical when the opportunities came by. Just two minutes after Chelsea's equalizer, Salah worked his magic again, finding a pinpoint cross to Curtis Jones, who scored the winner. It was the final blow to a Chelsea side that dominated in possession but couldn't be decisive when it mattered most.
Current state of both clubs this season
Liverpool has a great start to the current season. Out of 11 games in all competitions, they won 10, with one draw, marking the best start since the season 1990/91 when Kenny Dalglish was the manager. Klopp's work has finally paid off, and this team, which was seen to have declined at the end of last season, returned again as a strong force.
That victory over Chelsea also carries some historical significance: it is Liverpool's third in a row over the Blues, and to add insult to injury on the part of the London outfit, they have now gone ten games without beating the Reds. The last time Chelsea defeated Liverpool was back in 2021, further highlighting Klopp's recent dominance in this rivalry.
Chelsea, on their part, are a different story altogether. There is quality in the team, but it fails to translate the good performances into convincing results. The high passing accuracy boasted in this game speaks of keeping possession, though the finishing has often been the problem. Nicolas Jackson, scoring or assisting in 13 goals in his last 13 Premier League appearances, remains one of the few rays of hope in Chelsea's attack. Not even he has been able to prevent critical defeats when that is most needed.