Liverpool Fail 1-0 At Chelsea

Sports - Football - Premier League - CHE 1:0 LIV

Chelsea kept the pressure on Liverpool and Tottenham, still in fifth place but able to break into the top four with a game in hand and depending on the results in the last game of the season, after beating the Reds 1-0 at Stamford Bridge last Sunday.

Jürgen Klopp’s men dominated much of the game but were unable to capitalise, unlike Olivier Giroud who headed in Victor Moses’ cross to give the Blues the lead against the run of play with just over half an hour gone.

Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané created more but just not enough, Thibaut Courtois doing well denying the latter a couple of times. 

Antonio Rüdiger on the opposite end saw his header ruled out for offside before Marcos Alonso put another chance inches wide, the home side doing well keeping control after going ahead.

Manager Antonio Conte was happy his side kept the fight up and going with this win, Cesc Fàbregas and Eden Hazard forming a danger factor on a regular basis, seeing the first time LFC have failed to score in consecutive Premier League games since their German boss took over. 

The Reds, after knocking Manchester City out of the Champions League 5-1 on aggregate to qualify for the final in Kiev, keep dropping points with draws against West Brom and Stoke and this defeat.

It would be very disappointing for the Champions League finalists to fall further down, so nothing else than a win is expected against Brighton in the final PL fixture.

After going unbeaten against the “big six” in the first eight league away games (W4 D4), Klopp has watched his side lose the last four out of five (D1).

Liverpool have only lost more Premier League games against Manchester United (28) than against Chelsea (20). 

Chelsea Goal: Giroud 32’.

FT Stats: CHE 1-0 LIV

Possession: 32%-68%

Shots: 12-10

On target: 4-5

Corners: 3-1

Fouls: 12-9

Yellow cards: 3-2

Chelsea Team: 13 Courtois (booked), 28 Azpilicueta, 24 Cahill, 2 Rüdiger, 15 Moses (booked) (21 Zappacosta 89’), 4 Fàbregas (11 Pedro 90’+3’), 7 Kanté, 14 Bakayoko, 3 Alonso (booked), 10 Hazard (22 Willian 86’), 18 Giroud.

Subs not used: 1 Caballero, 8 Barkley, 27 Christensen, 33 Emerson.

Liverpool Team: 1 Karius, 2 Clyne (booked) (14 Henderson 59’), 6 Lovren, 4 van Dijk, 26 Robertson (29 Solanke 74’), 66 Alexander-Arnold, 5 Wijnaldum, 7 Milner (18 Moreno 89’), 11 Salah (booked), 9 Firmino, 19 Mané.

Subs not used: 17 Klavan, 22 Mignolet, 28 Ings, 58 Woodburn.

Referee: Anthony Taylor

Man of the match: Olivier Giroud

Ground: Stamford Bridge

Attendance: 41,314

Click here for my last LFC match report.

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match report.

Premier League Picks Of The Week 26

Sports - Football - Premier League - Week 26

The 26th week of the Premier League action saw:

205 shots - most by Tottenham = 21
22 goals - most by Tottenham = 4
187 fouls - most by Watford = 19
26 bookings - most by Watford = 4
2 red cards - Barnes for Burnley, Antonio for West Ham
3 penalties - 3 scored (Huddlestone for Hull City, King for Bournemouth, Deeney for Watford)

What a game! West Brom's comeback against Bournemouth was an entertaining encounter at The Hawthorns. But champions Leicester stole the show, returning to their stunning best we all enjoyed last season, beating Liverpool 3-1 at the King Power thanks to Jamie Vardy and Danny Drinkwater being back on fire. One goal especially wins my vote, see below...

What a team! Everton stretched their unbeaten league run to nine games after beating bottom side Sunderland 2-0 at Goodison Park thanks to Idrissa Gueye and Romelu Lukaku, the latter registering his 60th Premier League goal in 119 games for the Blues, equalling the club record with current first-team coach Duncan Ferguson (60 in 239 matches).

What a man! Harry Kane has scored the most Premier League goals since start of last season = 42, three hat-tricks in the last nine games, fourth in the Premier League for Tottenham, a club record, taking him past 100 goals in his club career (102, 86 of those for Tottenham). Cesc Fàbregas marked his 300th Premier League appearance as the man of the match, opening the score for Chelsea against Swansea, Pedro and Diego Costa also on the scoreboard once again, stretching the Blues' lead at the top to 11 points. Utter dominance.

What a goal! Drinkwater's goal for the Foxes against the Reds was a breathtaking smacker to make it 2-0 before the break. Vardy was back with a double-bang, scoring his first and second Premier League goal of the year, pouncing on Jürgen Klopp's mens' weakness at the back. A convincing win, or as the German boss of the losing side put it, it was a bad start, bad middle and bad finish for the Reds. Click here to read my LFC match summary.

What the hell?! Crystal Palace's win against Middlesbrough, served Big Sam only his second win since taking over at Selhurst Park in December. The victory was priceless for the Eagles, devastating for Leicester, dropping into the relegation zone in the process (temporarily). I would have been sad about that, if it weren't for the Foxes' sacking of the title winning boss Claudio Ranieri. But their misery didn't last long as mentioned above, much to Craig Shakespeare's advantage in his bid to take over the job permanently. #hm #suspicious

My Predictions - Actual Results
Chelsea 3:1 Swansea - 3:1
Crystal Palace 0:0 Middlesbrough - 1:0
Everton 2:0 Sunderland - 2:0
Hull City 1:0 Burnley - 1:1
West Brom 2:1 Bournemouth - 2:1
Watford 1:2 West Ham - 1:1
Tottenham 4:1 Stoke City - 4:0
Leicester 2:2 Liverpool - 3:1 or click here for my LFC match summary
Man City P:P Man United*
Southampton P:P Arsenal*
*P = postponed because of the EFL Cup Final (Man United 3:2 Southampton)

Click here for last week's Premier League Picks.

Pictures and stats taken from the BBC match reports.