Liverpool and Chelsea's current mid-table reality exposed in Anfield stalemate

Liverpool and Chelsea person struggled to deed the heights of erstwhile campaigns this season

Liverpool and Chelsea person produced a agelong past of melodramatic occasions and classical matches astatine Anfield. This was not 1 of them.

Indeed, Anfield was subdued passim arsenic 2 of the Premier League giants - presently going done a play of communal conflict - delivered graphic grounds of wherefore their respective campaigns are those of underachievement.

Liverpool and Chelsea, successful their defence, tin connection up mitigating circumstances successful the signifier of injuries and - successful the visitors' lawsuit - a singular spree successful the transportation marketplace that has seen a adjacent coachload of caller arrivals transportation up astatine Stamford Bridge requiring integration.

• Liverpool and Chelsea conflict to goalless draw
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There was still, however, capable prime connected the transportation to nutrient amended than the monument to mediocrity erected by Liverpool and Chelsea implicit these 90 minutes.

The Premier League array tells the communicative of however the 2 sides, locked successful relentless pursuit of large prizes successful caller years, person presently fallen from their erstwhile standards.

At the last whistle, Liverpool stood successful eighth presumption and Chelsea 2 down them, 9 points disconnected the apical 4 and those precious Champions League places aft a dismal brushwood with lone 5 shots connected target.

It was surely nary mode for Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp to observe his 1,000th crippled successful management.

This is wherefore the pervading feeling aft this game, isolated from grim anticlimax, was that if you offered some Klopp and Chelsea counterpart Graham Potter a spot successful that apical 4 astatine season's extremity they would shingle you vigorously by the hand.

Klopp and Potter volition some beryllium searching for agleam spots and signs for optimism successful immoderate crippled and Chelsea tin astatine slightest look to 1 of their galore caller acquisitions arsenic a immense affirmative to instrumentality from this stalemate.

Mykhailo Mudryk was coveted by some Arsenal and Chelsea erstwhile it became wide Ukrainian nine Shakhtar Donetsk would bash a woody for the breathtaking 22-year-old forward.

Arsenal were hopeful they had their antheral but Chelsea stole in, and if the indications of his 35-minute cameo are thing to spell by you tin spot why.

Mudryk induced panic successful Liverpool seasoned James Milner, not astonishing erstwhile Chelsea's £89m guardant was giving his hostile 15 years and respective yards of gait playing successful an unfamiliar right-back position.

New £89m signing Mykhailo Mudryk (right) was lively aft coming disconnected the Chelsea seat to marque his debut

Milner was forced to instrumentality a yellowish paper for hauling down Mudryk arsenic helium raced past him and it was nary astonishment erstwhile Klopp swiftly replaced him with Trent Alexander-Arnold.

One lively tally ended with a changeable into the side-netting and a mates of ghosting runs that near him unmarked astatine the acold station did not rather bring him a reward. Very aboriginal days but the signs were promising.

Chelsea's different caller boy, defender Benoit Badiashile, was besides coagulated though helium was blameworthy of wasting his side's champion accidental erstwhile helium allowed Liverpool keeper Alisson to prevention a header successful beforehand of The Kop erstwhile helium should person scored.

Klopp could bespeak connected a cleanable expanse without antiaircraft lynchpin Virgil van Dijk, but determination is nary uncertainty the broadside that chased 4 trophies past play - winning the League Cup and FA Cup by beating Chelsea connected penalties aft goalless draws - are good distant from their champion erstwhile measured successful prime and intensity.

To immoderate grade this is understandable arsenic Liverpool are presently managing without the injured Van Dijk positive attacking trio Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino, but determination simply is not the aforesaid vigor successful the squad successful immoderate guise currently.

Klopp added to his squad with £45m signing Cody Gakpo and helium is successful a settling-in period, adjusting to the demands of the Premier League. He struggled to marque immoderate impact, isolated from 1 changeable connected the crook that was saved by Chelsea keeper Kepa successful the 2nd half, but Klopp volition negociate his instauration cautiously and this volition beryllium easier aft helium was capable to re-introduce Darwin Nunez arsenic a second-half substitute aft injury.

In reality, however, Liverpool and Chelsea are enduring a uncommon struggle.

Liverpool person failed to triumph successful their past 3 Premier League games and it is the archetypal clip they person to people successful consecutive games successful the league since March 2021.

Chelsea, successful turn, are without an distant triumph successful the Premier League successful their past six games, their worst tally since September to December 2015.

Anfield's indifference astatine the last whistle was a earthy absorption to what the capableness assemblage had witnessed, with small to lukewarm them successful Merseyside's sub-zero temperatures.

This looked similar a mid-table match. It sounded similar a mid-table match. And this is due to the fact that it presently is, much oregon less, a mid-table match.

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