Chelsea: Liverpool’s latest loss and how it relates to the Blues
Liverpool lost its latest league match at home to Burnley and while many Chelsea fans simply tuned in to get their mid-week football fix, the joy produced by the full-time whistle was much greater than anyone could’ve anticipated. The Reds have been one of the most dominant teams in recent memory over the last few years and while they only have two trophies to show for it, the worrying part was Jurgen Klopp’s men were inching ever so close to a Blues record.
The remarkable feat accomplished by Chelsea from the 2004 to 2008 season is, obviously, the 86-game home unbeaten run. Stamford Bridge became a fortress under Jose Mourinho and the Blues turned into a true European giant during that time. During the record-setting run, Chelsea captured five trophies (two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups) to kick off the Roman Abramovich era in style. No team has come close in recent years until Liverpool—and the term close is used loosely in this context. The Reds’ run came to a crushing end when they were defeated 1-0 by Burnley to snap the streak at 68 matches. Thanks to Burnley because now, the record will stand for at least another five or so years. It’s honestly hard to see any English team ever reaching the Blues’ mark, let alone breaking it.
Why else did this match matter though? It didn’t directly involve Chelsea, but there were a lot of parallels in Liverpool’s struggles.
Liverpool has failed to win its last five games in the league. The Reds sit fourth in the table with both Everton and Spurs having games in hand behind them—they could be in sixth by the end of the weekend. Klopp’s team has failed to score in the last four league games and the attack is worrying. Liverpool has resorted to simply crossing balls into the box and the team has no tactics, leaving the Reds in a worse position than last year. Sound familiar, Blues fans?
If you were to take the aforementioned paragraph and change the club name—as well as a few stats—you’d have the same complaints made by some Chelsea supporters. This goes to show that losing is frustrating, this season is unpredictable and nobody is safe from a winless skid. Liverpool put on one of the most dominant championship displays ever seen in the English top flight last year, but the fact the Reds are struggling shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. This season is physically and mentally demanding for every team in Europe, especially those at the top. A crowded fixture list plus a short preseason, numerous competitions and COVID complications make up a recipe for disaster.
The difference between Liverpool and Chelsea though is the fact that Klopp has been at the helm for six years; Lampard just passed a year and six months. The current dip in form by both clubs makes the comparisons that much more accurate. From the sales of Philippe Coutinho and Eden Hazard and initial struggles by both managers to the modern state of each team, the Blues look more and more like a spitting image of the defending champions every day. All of this goes to show two things though: poor form is not exclusive to Chelsea at the moment and sticking with Lampard is the right choice going forward. Many reactionary spectators will be quick to tell you otherwise because losing a single match is unacceptable to them. However, losing is a part of the game and as much as it stings, you have to learn to accept it.
Next. Chelsea’s Frank Lampard is risking it all with needless media fights. dark
If one of the most dominant sides of all-time is going through a rough patch like this, it’s expected of the Blues to do so, as well. Liverpool has stuck with Klopp throughout and now it’s time for Chelsea to show the same faith in Lampard.