Capital One Cup: Chelsea FC And Liverpool Share The Spoils At Anfield
Chelsea FC traveled to Anfield to face Liverpool in the first leg of the Capital One Cup Semifinals. The Blues took the lead early but were pegged back as both teams shared the spoils in what was a pulsating and thrilling draw.
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The match started off not quite as expected for Chelsea FC fans. The home side was very much on the front foot in the opening minutes and it was the Blues who were scrambling to keep Liverpool from breaking through. Steven Gerrard had a good early attempt on 16 minutes that was tipped over the top by Thibaut Courtois. Just a minute later, Emre Can fouled Eden Hazard in the box and the penalty was given by referee Martin Atkinson. Can allowed Cesc Fabregas to blow past him and was clumsy in trying to recover against Hazard who was primed to shoot at Simon Mignolet’s goal.
Hazard stepped up and with his trademark slow run, sent Mignolet the wrong way and rolled the ball in to the back of the net. Chelsea FC gained a slim lead though it was hardly deserved and was against the run of play. The rest of the first half swung more in Chelsea’s favor as the Blues had several chances to extend the lead. None of them were particularly gilt-edged but on a better day the Blues may have put the match to bed early. Liverpool finished the half with 63% of possession and a host of chances but nothing to show for it.
With no changes at halftime, the second half was underway and Liverpool would get their equalizer. 15 minutes after the restart, it was a bit of individual magic from Raheem Sterling that brought Liverpool back in to the match. Picking up the ball just past the center circle, Sterling split both Nemanja Matic and John Obi Mikel and was one on one with Gary Cahill. Cahill backed off Sterling and tried to force him wide but the angle for the shot was on and Sterling found the bottom corner past Courtois.
Liverpool had already been the better side but the equalizer was the spark they needed to take the match by the scruff of the neck. They battered the Chelsea goal with shot after shot and it was a bit of good fortune and some magnificent goalkeeping that kept the Blues level. Gerrard was given a tremendous chance to be the hero at the 67 minute mark. He was inexplicably left open in the middle of the Chelsea box and tried to place a left footed shot in to the net with Courtois well-beaten. The shot instead caromed off the post and out of play and the Blues were lucky to not be behind.
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Adam Lallana had the next great chance for Liverpool after was brought on for Gerrard. The England midfielder did his best Gerrard impression and sent a rocket of a shot towards the Chelsea goal. Courtois looked to be beaten but he leapt and stretched every inch of his frame to tip the venomous shot wide of the post.
Chelsea ended the match with just one shot on target and 38% of the possession. It was an atrocious performance from the Blues and they somehow someway left Anfield with a draw. It was completely undeserved but the result is all that matters. Jose Mourinho does however have some work to do ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Stamford Bridge next week.
Man of the Match: Thibaut Courtois. Made several tremendous saves and kept the Blues in the match, most notably on two tough shots from Phillipe Coutinho and Adam Lallana.