Chelsea lost against Liverpool, but won in the long run

Chelsea lost to Liverpool on the day, but won in the long run in terms of the understanding of the squad and its deficiencies.

The loss against Liverpool was a bitter pill to swallow. Chelsea lost because of two mistakes and missed a penalty, but the Blues ended up winners in the long run by bringing to light the real problems the squad faces. More importantly than that, Frank Lampard and his staff now realize that these problems can be solved with the current players at disposal.

Chelsea had a game plan and it was working until the 45′ when Andreas Christensen received his red card. To be fair to him, he did not have many options in that situation. However, this was a defensive error, and Christensen was on his heels when Sadio Mane made the run. Mistakes like these happen, but when they come at the expense of big game, they become a problem. Unfortunately for Christensen, this is not the first time his mistakes have cost Chelsea an important game. This type of performances cannot be excused anymore and at this point in his career, he should be given an ultimatum.

In contrast, Fikayo Tomori—who came on to fill the defensive gap after the red card—performed admirably. Tomori’s performance alongside Kurt Zouma was the best in recent years. That is, still, not taking into account the circumstances of playing with 10-men. He was aware of his surroundings, his communication with the other defenders was impeccable and his decision making was leveled with that of his teammates.

Although it would be harsh to evaluate and give a final veridic on Christensen’s performance, it is time to put pressure on him. What is more important, however, is the fact the Blues already have the man to replace him in Tomori. With performances like today, Chelsea can count on the Englishman to be the solution for the team’s defensive problems.

The other problem identified was Jorginho’s worth to the team—or lack thereof. The vice-captain has two aspects of his games in his favor, passing the ball quickly, and taking penalties. Unfortunately, neither worked for him against Liverpool. His overall game was not bad, as he defended and allowed Chelsea to control the ball for periods at a time. However, when Chelsea went two goals down, he had the opportunity to cut the deficit in half—and failed.

Therefore, the question is brought forth of to his worth in the team. After missing a penalty in a crucial game, and failing to have any form of impact, it is clear that Chelsea needs someone more assertive. Lampard has an important decision to make next game to let players know that everyone needs to pull their own weight. If a player is assigned to perform a specific task, they must see it through, with no excuses. Unfortunately, that is not Jorginho often does.

Lastly, the Blues learned more about the goalkeeper problem. While in this article the previous two points have been elaborated and detailed, Kepa Arrizabalaga is a simple problem with a simple solution. Arrizabalaga made a horrendous mistake that allowed Liverpool to double its narrow lead—this is not the first, nor the 50th, time he has failed. Therefore, he must go, or at least not play again. Any club willing to buy him for more than 30 million, no matter the currency, the Blues must take the offer. With the arrival of Edouard Mendy nearing, this problem will be fixed sooner rather than later. Arrizabalaga will lose his spot, Caballero will become to transitional keeper and Mendy will finally claim his spot as Chelsea’s No. 1.

Overall, the loss against Liverpool was a positive in many aspects. Chelsea could have lost by at least four goals, but good performances all around prevented that. However, the aforementioned issues still remain, and it is up to Lampard to correct them.