Week 8 Match Review: Liverpool 2 - Chelsea 1
Welcome back, Blues supporters and haters, from another international break, which is somehow the second already of the season (and they say there isn’t too much football…). In what was billed as the match of the week, we saw some constructive progress from Chelsea and very few big mistakes. Unfortunately, they were playing Liverpool, who dines on big mistakes with glee. Anyway, to the rundown!
What Was Good
Nicolas Jackson Continues His Clinical Finishing
Nicolas Jackson is one of the most improved players in the league this season. While he did finish with 14 goals last season in all competitions, he played erratically, was routinely outmatched in the middle of the field, and frankly looked out of position – both literally and figuratively – much of the time. But that was then, and now he’s finishing with the best of them, including Chelsea’s lone goal of the match where he’s being pursued by both Andy Robertson and Big Virg. In an otherwise unexciting performance (strong, but dull), Jackson knew when to sprinkle on a little spice.
Reece James Seen in the Wild
That’s right, your eyes were not deceiving you: that was none other than Reece James starting against Liverpool in his first action of the season. While he certainly looked a bit uncomfortable with his new teammates, we got flashes of the strength, vision, and leadership that this team really needs down that right side. We also saw him inverting into the midfield, not unlike he did as a CDM during his loan spell at Wigan years ago. While I’ll miss the excitement of watching him bomb down the flank, just seeing him out there – along with Romeo Lavía – was a most excellent sign.
Pedro Neto Is Starting to Find His Way
Jadon Sancho is a great player and seems to have locked down the starting spot on the left wing. But he doesn’t have the pace and explosiveness of Pedro Neto, who seems like he can cover half the field in the blink of an eye when given enough room. He came close to setting up multiple goals in the second half, which is more a reflection of shoddy finishing rather than imprecise passing, and while Sancho fits in very well against teams in the low block, Neto should continue to increase his minutes against more aggressive defenses so his pace can truly be unlocked against unsuspecting right backs.
What Was Bad
Robert Sanchez Did a Lot of Robert Sanchez Things
Robert Sanchez giveth (solid performances) and Robert Sanchez taketh (opportunities to climb the table) away. Well, it’s not really his fault – Colwill’s penalty-causing foul didn’t help – but there continue to be a few moments each match where you just can’t help but think, “If Chelsea had a top five keeper, how would that affect the team?” OK, technically he is top five in saves, but that’s more a reflection of how many shots the defense is giving up vs. his own prowess. Either way, this team is only going as far as Sanchez can take them, which even between all his faults, still could be top four.
Levi Colwill Takes Two Step Forwards and a Big Step Back
Levi Colwill is being groomed to be the starting left-sided center back for England for the next two to three World Cups, and as this season’s gone on, it’s clear that he’s arguably the most untouchable asset on the squad not named “Cole Palmer.” But it’s important to remember that he’s only 21 and, without Reece James around much at the moment – not to mention Wesley Fofana’s ups and down – has to shoulder a lot of the defending responsibility. With that comes mistakes, which is how Colwill ended up taking down a spinning Curtis Jones during some shoddy transition defending from the Blues. In such a close game, it’s moments like these that separate title contenders from “we’re not quite there yet,” and Colwill might just be the face of the latter.
Cole Palmer Goes Silent Again
There may be no elite player in the league who is less flashy than Cole Palmer. His moments of greatness don’t come from incredible runs down the middle of the field, faking multiple defenders out of their boots before sending the keeper the wrong direction. No, Palmer is clinical and precise, finding tiny openings that other players might not notice. He pounces on goals rather than wows (minus the occasional mind-bending free kick), but as a result, when those opportunities don’t come, he can look almost bored or timid, which is what happened against Liverpool. Maybe they just shut him down effectively, or maybe in a game that was so heavily transition-focused, Palmer was just forced to spectate rather than dominate. He obviously can’t be a star in every match, but his lack of moments in this game really put the pressure on everyone else to try to be the hero and, well, we see how well that worked.
What’s Next
Everyone’s favorite midseason tournament, the UEFA Conference League, is back in action this week with the Blues heading to Athens to play Panathinaikos midweek, before they host Newcastle at the weekend. Panathinaikos, who are in sixth in the Greek league, should be a great opportunity for the B-team to get some minutes as Newcastle continues to be feisty, if not downright lethal when two of Alexander Isak, Harvey Barnes, and Anthony Gordon are firing. We’ll see which Sanchez and Palmer show up on Sunday at the Bridge.
