Liverpool limp towards Champions League with Chelsea draw in English Premier League
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Liverpool manager Arne Slot says it makes sense that he and his side were booed by the Anfield crowd at full-time after another disappointing result on May 9, when they drew 1-1 with Chelsea in the EPL.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LONDON – Liverpool missed the chance to all but secure Champions League football next season after a 1-1 draw with a wounded Chelsea side on May 9.
The Blues had lost six consecutive English Premier League games to fall out of contention for a spot in the top five, but they managed to hold the Reds at Anfield.
Ryan Gravenberch’s sweet strike gave Liverpool the perfect start, but Chelsea hit back to salvage a point when Enzo Fernandez’s free kick evaded everyone in the middle to find the bottom corner.
Boos at full-time reflected the mood around Anfield after another lacklustre performance from the home team. But they are inching closer to Champions League qualification while they sit in fourth place.
“We started off really well and got a big chance from a set piece which was close to making it 2-0,” Liverpool boss Arne Slot said.
“Unfortunately, like last week (3-2 loss to Manchester United), we conceded a set piece. It was such a sloppy goal. The second half I saw a completely different intensity. We went close a few times. Like so many times this season, we hit the post and bar. We were not able to control their players. They played with a lot of midfielders today.”
Chelsea are out of the top-five race, but there were some shoots of recovery for interim boss Calum McFarlane to take into their FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 16.
Chelsea were humbled by a second-string Nottingham Forest side at home on May 4, and looked set for another long afternoon after conceding just six minutes in.
Rio Ngumoha picked out Gravenberch on the edge of the box and the Dutchman curled perfectly into the top corner.
Liverpool’s forward line was decimated by injuries with Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike absent, while Alexander Isak was not fit enough to start the game.
A lack of attacking impetus showed as the Reds allowed the beleaguered Blues to gain a foothold in the game and slowly regain some confidence.
The visitors levelled 10 minutes before half-time when Fernandez’s free kick caught goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili flat-footed and rolled in at the far post.
Chelsea thought they had turned the game around early in the second half when Cole Palmer smashed home. But the video assistant referee intervened to rescue the Reds as Marc Cucurella had strayed marginally offside in the build-up.
Liverpool came closest to a winner in the dying stages as they hit the woodwork twice.
Dominik Szoboszlai’s powerful drive came back off the base of the post, before Virgil van Dijk rattled the crossbar with a towering header from the Hungarian’s corner.
Slot is reportedly set to remain in charge of Liverpool next season despite a bitterly disappointing campaign, thanks to the credit he amassed in winning the Premier League in 2024-25.
But the discontent among the Anfield crowd towards the Dutchman was shown in the fury at his decision to replace teenager Ngumoha and at full-time.
On the booing from the home fans, Slot added: “That’s probably got something to do with us not winning. It completely makes sense people are disappointed if Liverpool don’t win.”
As for Chelsea, McFarlane said his side had wanted to “give everything” for this game.
“We’ve done that now… we’ll have a day off then prepare for another game against more top-flight opposition (in the FA Cup final),” he said. “I felt we could have won the game, in my opinion we deserved to win the game.
“We’ve shown who we are as a group, we just need to do that on a more consistent basis. The FA Cup final is going to be a tough game… but this team have shown that when they’re at their best, they can match anyone in Europe.” AFP
