10-man Chelsea hold Liverpool to 1-1 draw

Liverpool took on Chelsea in the first real title-defining clash of the 2021/22 Premier League season, and the European champions battled hard to earn a crucial point at Anfield after being down to 10 men.

Kai Havertz opened the scoring for Chelsea with a wonderful header in the 22nd minute before the game turned on its head when Reece James was sent off for blocking Sadio Mane’s goal-bound shot with his hand. Mohammed Salah converted the penalty to make it 1-1, but Chelsea produced a defensive masterclass in the second half and resisted wave after wave of Liverpool attacks to take a crucial point away from Anfield and continue their unbeaten run in the league.

Buoyed by the 60,000 fans inside Anfield, Liverpool started the game on the front foot with young 18-year-old Harvey Elliott having an early sight at goal as his shot from outside the box fizzed wide off the post. The Reds sustained this high intensity throughout the opening 20 minutes and Trent Alexander Arnold played another inch-perfect cross into the penalty area only for Jordan Henderson to fluff his lines with his volley.

The €115 million man – Romelu Lukaku – was subdued for most of the half as the Belgian failed to replicate his heroics against Arsenal last weekend against much tougher opposition in the form of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Fabinho. Instead, it was Kai Havertz who produced a piece of magic to give Chelsea the lead with the German executing an ingenious cushioned header from a Reece James corner that looped over Alisson into the back of the net.

Chelsea grew into the contest after opening the scoring, but the game turned on its head on the stroke of half-time after Reece James blocked Sadio Mane’s goal-bound shot with his arm following a goal-mouth scramble. The VAR review awarded Liverpool a penalty – which was emphatically converted by Mohammed Salah – while referee Anthony Taylor also sent off Reece James for denying a goal-scoring opportunity, leaving Chelsea to fight with a man down for an entire half.

Liverpool dominated the proceedings in the second half thanks to their numerical advantage, with Chelsea happy to sit back in their shape and protect the one point. The Reds did create few chances and forced Edouard Mendy into some fine saves from shots from distance, but the spirit and compactness of the Chelsea defence shone through as Jurgen Klopp’s side struggled to sustain the pressure on goal to break down the Blues.

In the end, this stubborn resistance will feel like a win for Chelsea after surviving with 10-men for 45 minutes while Liverpool will rue two points lost that could prove costly at the business end of the season.