Eden Hazard’s return to form continues apace but the Blues were denied all three points by a Liverpool equaliser inside stoppage time. Pedro played his first game ever at Anfield with a protection mask for his broken nose. Despite it the Spaniard completed a great performance creating a lot of good chances.
The Belgian appeared to have decided our last away game of the season with a first-half strike of individual quality, and the win would have been no more than the Blues deserved for an enterprising display in this contest between the teams eighth and ninth in the Premier League table.
Apart from in the opening minutes, we had threatened throughout. Liverpool had their chances but were not taking them, with Asmir Begovic pulling off the save of the game to deny Sturridge in the second half but with time running out, the Bosnian could not cut out a cross and substitute Christian Benteke converted to save his side from defeat.
Tammy Abraham, an 18-year-old striker who has scored 26 goals for our Academy sides this season, was given his senior debut by Guus Hiddink in the second half.
With Diego Costa and Branislav Ivanovic injured for Chelsea and John Terry suspended, Bertrand Traore had begun the game leading the attack and John Mikel Obi was drafted into central defence for the third time in recent weeks.
Thibaut Courtois was a late withdrawal due to illness. Three Academy products had been added to the squad for this game and were on the bench. They were 18-year-olds Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori and 19-year-old Kasey Palmer.
The Europa League finalists fielded a full strength side for their final home game.
Mikel began on the left of the Chelsea central defence with captain for the night Gary Cahill on the right and the Nigerian was drawn into a foul by Sturridge within seconds of the start, only for the former Chelsea man to fluff his opportunity with a free-kick which more resembled a rugby conversion.
Liverpool had the best of the early minutes with Baba Rahman making an important block andBegovic saving from Adam Lallana. Our keeper did less well when Coutinho chipped a cross over to the far post but from the corner given away, Dejan Lovren headed wide.
Chelsea’s best moments were coming when we got Traore involved. Liverpool were making mistakes when pressured.
Pedro, wearing a mask on a broken nose, skipped past Can and into the area but had his 15th-minute effort blocked by a twisting Kolo Toure.
The next chance was Liverpool’s but having been played away by a good, first-time pass behind the Blues defence and stayed ahead of a chasing Nemanja Matic, Philippe Coutinho took a poor touch when ready to shoot and could not recover.
Hazard did a lot better with a low, 25-yard drive struck with little back lift but Simon Mignolet saved.
Pedro won a corner with a sharp, darting run to build a good spell of pressure applied by the Blues. It bore fruit thanks to the restored brilliance of Hazard. This goal may not have quite matched the drama of his Spurs strike but it certainly was equal on skills and precision. He spotted a narrow gap in the Reds’ defence and went for it, dribbling past two before picking out the far bottom corner of the Kop End net to leave Mignolet sprawling. There were 32 minutes played.
Soon after came a short tale of two goalkeepers. Begovic dived to save a firm strike from Coutinho before his opposite number inexplicably halted his run when clear favourite to win a chase to the ball with Traore, who was then only inches away from finding the top corner with the keeper still retreating.
The Liverpool fans were audibly unhappy with their Belgian at the back, unlike the Blues who were watching Hazard increasingly trouble his markers. Emre Can was booked for taking him down.
Inside stoppage time, a free-kick just outside our area gave Begovic one more job to do and when he initially punched the ball away but without distance, Baba was again on hand to get in the way of a shot. We had a promising lead and performance to take down the tunnel at the break.
The second half began pretty much as the first ended, with Hazard in flight brought down. Toure was the player taking the booking.
A couple of long-range strikes, one extraordinarily over-ambitious from Sturridge, did not troubleBegovic before the next one fired on-target from Hazard. An enterprising run from Baba had driven the Reds back. Mignolet made a save low down.
On the hour Liverpool sent a dangerous cross over, only for it to be chest-controlled inside the six-yard box by the supremely cool Mikel, who then sprayed a 40-yard pass out to Pedro on the wing.
Begovic pulled off a superb save from Sturridge when the Chelsea backline was breached and Toure missed with a free header but Chelsea retaliated when Pedro warmed Mignolet’s hands. The home side were still not playing to their fans’ liking and they were letting them know it.
Chelsea were bright on the break with Baba, after blocking Coutinho’s on-target volley, feedingHazard who looped the ball to the other flank. Pedro fed Traore who tricked inside a tackle and forced another save from the keeper. That was the young striker’s last contribution. He was the player withdrawn to allow Abraham his first taste of the senior game with just over quarter of an hour to go. Kenedy had been an earlier sub used.
The 18-year-old had a couple of skilful touches but two chances to score fell to Sheyi Ojo who had only just come on for Liverpool and to Pedro, who drew another save from Mignolet.
That appeared to be that until a cross came in from the Liverpool right. Begovic, stretching and close to his goal, got a hand to it but could do nothing to stop it falling to Benteke who could not miss.
- Match stats:
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Begovic; Azpilicueta, Mikel, Cahill (c), Baba; Fabregas, Matic; Pedro, Willian(Kenedy 57), Hazard; Traore (Abraham 72).
Unused subs Amelia, Tomori, Loftus-Cheek, Palmer, Pato.
Scorer Hazard 32,
Booked Ojo 88
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Mignolet; Clyne, Toure (Ojo 87), Lovren, Moreno; Can, Milner (c) (Allen 75); Lallana (Benteke 75), Coutinho, Firmino; Sturridge.
Unused subs Bogdan, Skrtel, Smith, Lucas.
Scorer Benteke 90+2
Booked Can 4, Toure 48.
Referee Michael Oliver
Crowd 43,210
- Match report by chelseafc.com
|
4 - 1 
