Chelsea and Liverpool are not what they once were. In this encounter, both sides failed to find their best selves and failed to score any goals. This is despite the fact that both teams played against each other frequently previous season and had successful campaigns.
Nobody is happy when they leave Anfield. Liverpool and Chelsea both needed three points to get closer to the Champions League places. Chelsea created more chances and even took the lead in the fourth minute, but Havertz's goal was disallowed by VAR for offside by Thiago Silva. Although Liverpool improved in the second half and outperformed Chelsea, neither team was able to beat the opposing goalkeeper.
Jurgen Klopp described Liverpool's 3-0 loss to Brighton last weekend as the worst performance of his eight years at Anfield and made sweeping changes in the 1,000th game of his managerial career, leaving Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench. The personnel change had little effect on the Reds' performance, as they were penned back in the first 45 minutes by a similarly out of sorts Chelsea.
Both clubs are now nine points adrift of the Champions League places, and there is little evidence that either can quickly rekindle their former glories and make a charge up the table. Chelsea had an early goal by Kai Havertz ruled out for offside, and new 100 million signing Mykhailo Mudryk looked promising off the bench. However, the Blues remain in 10th place after failing to win an away league game since October. Liverpool moves up to eighth place, one point ahead of Brentford on goal difference.
