Liverpool brought Chelsea back to earth with a 2-0 beating at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, 20 September 2020, as Sadio Mane’s double capitalised on Andreas Christensen’s red card and another error from Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Frank Lampard has spent enormously in this transfer window hoping to avoid a repeat of the 33-point gap which opened up between these sides last season. However, Chelsea lacked any sharpness in the first half. Their task was then made even more difficult in stoppage time when Christensen was sent off for hauling Mane to the ground.
Liverpool then brought on new signing Thiago Alcantara at half-time to take complete control after the break. And it worked as Mane headed in Roberto Firmino’s cross and then made it his second of the night when he intercepted Kepa’s casual pass.
Watch the highlights of the match below
Chelsea sparked hope of an unlikely comeback when Timo Werner was tumbled in the penalty area by Thiago, but Alisson came to the rescue to save Jorginho’s spot-kick as Jurgen Klopp’s side marched to a second straight win with a daunting performance for their title rivals.
Frank Lampard admits being happier after the Liverpool defeat than when they beat Brighton
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard said despite their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool that the team encouraged him by showing spirit and desire.
Lampard ranked the performance as being better than their 3-1 opening weekend win at Brighton.
“I was happy about our defensive game,”
“I wanted them to be better on the ball. We showed moments on the counter-attack where we dangerous. But to limit them to the chances they got in the first half, there were lots of things I was pleased about.
“My team talk at half-time was going to be: ‘let’s be more confident on the ball lads.’ Then the red card changes the whole team talk.
“They can be given or not. Once the yellow is the first decision, you feel it needs to be absolutely critical that it’s a red to make that difference. I’m not sure it was. I’m not going to complain too much.
“I’m disappointed to lose three points, as you always will be and should be, but actually I’m happier today in many ways than I was at Brighton. Brighton was three points, an OK performance.
“We’re in pre-season still because we haven’t had long enough to train a lot of the individuals and as a collective.
“Today I saw spirit, a desire to defend by a lot of our players. Reece James, Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori, the midfield giving everything to block gaps. You play half a game with 10 men – you don’t make that mistake for the second goal, you score the penalty it’s 1-1. I know that’s not football and I know I can’t reflect on that but those are the realities.
“The players should take heart. It’s how we go forward from here now. Normally with new faces you get a month or so of pre-season to work on your patterns of play. That’s why the stuff on the ball at the minute is what I’m not so happy about. The way we’re defending I’m very happy with.”
Lampard also called on patience and time for his team to gel and develop saying this season should be seen as a new project from the last when they ended up in fourth place.
“Every team that has been successful in the modern day has had time, has had a process,” he said. “Our process starts here. Not from last year. Last year was a squad that we couldn’t do much business going into it, so we worked and we worked and we worked and we came fourth.
“Now it’s a new start, our objectives are higher, our expectations are higher, fine. But it will take some time.”
Stats and facts from the match (Backed by Opta)
- Liverpool were the first reigning champions to win away at Chelsea in the Premier League since Manchester United in April 2002, with the Blues unbeaten in 13 such matches since then before today (W7 D6).
- Chelsea have both had a player sent off and missed a penalty in a Premier League for the first time since February 1999 against Blackburn, when Gianluca Vialli was sent off and Frank Leboeuf missed from the spot.
- Jorginho missed a penalty for the first time in nine attempts for Chelsea in all competitions, while this was Alisson’s first penalty save for Liverpool since joining the club (three faced). Indeed, the penalty was Alisson’s first save of any kind in this season’s Premier League.
- Despite only coming on as a second half substitute, no Chelsea player completed more passes (75) or had more touches (89) than Liverpool debutant Thiago. His 75 successful passes was the most by a player to play 45 or fewer minutes in a Premier League game since 2003-04 (when full passing data is available).
