Chelsea v Liverpool ends barren for fourth consecutive match

Chelsea v Liverpool ends barren for fourth consecutive match

Faruq Ibrahim 22:01 - 04.04.2023

Chelsea and Liverpool play to another stalemate.

Chelsea and Liverpool played to a goalless draw in a game marred by uninspired offensive play and poor finishing.

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Bruno Saltor named a matchday squad for the first time in his career, as Chelsea hosted the Reds at Stamford Bridge. In a game between two sides struggling to translate quality into results, neither managed to prove more fortunate.

How it happened

The post-Graham Potter era was well and fully underway as the new man in charge lined up his side to face Jurgen Klopp's charges.

N'Golo Kante returned to the starting lineup after a long injury layoff, while Mohammed Salah was benched by Liverpool. 

Chelsea started strongly and had good chances to put the ball behind Allison and over the line, but the finishing of their offensive players let them down. Liverpool were also decent in offensive transitions and even had a chance to score in the first half when the ball fell into the path of Fabinho, but the midfielders shot like potency. 

Kai Havertz turned the ball into the net in the 25th minute, but after VAR review, the goal was ruled out.  

The game was paused at some point in the first-half after a natural stop in play to allow Muslim players on the pitch like Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana to break their fast and subsequently resume.  

The second-half was more like the first, and as in the first 45 minutes, missing chances was the order of the day.

Kai Havertz thought he gave Chelsea the lead again in the 51st minute of the game when he bundled the ball home after an Allison, but as with his first attempt, VAR intervened and ruled it out, this time because he handled the ball before turning it into the net. 

Both managers made changes as they looked to affect the game. Neither team gave too much away, or rather, neither side was potent in attack, as they played their fourth consecutive 0-0 draw in full-time 90 minutes.  

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