by Jürgen Klopp has rebuilt Liverpool’s formidable unit in less time and money than it took Chelsea to spend £1bn on a collection of individuals under Todd Boehly. A contrasting and rewarding approach struck at Anfield as 20-year-old homegrown goalkeeper Conor Bradley dismantled Mauricio Pochettino’s strangers on a statement night for the Premier League leaders.
Bradley was inspired, the Kop singing his name around, as Klopp’s team toyed with their Carabao Cup final opponents a month before their Wembley date. Liverpool can count the days until they meet again. Chelsea will be dreading the encounter already.
Related: ‘Better than us in every area’: Pochettino laments Chelsea’s display at Anfield
The visitors were furious when referee Paul Tierney failed to award them two penalties – Liverpool’s bete noire Klopp had no complaints about a change – but the simple truth is that they were gone, gone in a league and that they were outstanding all night.
“They were better than us from the first act,” said Pochettino. “They were better than us in every area.”
Klopp’s faith in the Liverpool squad he will once again leave behind in a high-octane, high-quality performance has been vindicated. They refused to allow Chelsea time to play through a relentless press and almost hit Djordje Petrovic’s goal on sight. Bradley became the first Northern Ireland international to score for the club since Sammy Smyth 70 years ago and took his tally of assists to five in four games. Darwin Núñez hit the woodwork four times, once from a penalty, and took 11 scoreless shots. Chelsea won their first corner in stoppage time.
Klopp’s decision to keep Bradley in place of the fit Trent Alexander-Arnold was another example of his managerial shrewdness. It was a huge display of faith which lifted the young defender’s game beyond the heights it had reached during the vice-captain’s recent absence.
Bradley began a superb night’s work as he presented the first chance to Núñez, a man on a mission to score from nowhere, but Petrovic read the striker’s effort.
Petrovic alone kept the first half scoreline semi-respectable. Núñez made another first-time effort, a blast from Alexis McAllister’s threaded pass, onto his crossbar and the Uruguay international’s left-footed drive into the post. He denied Liverpool again when Curtis Jones gave away the daisy. But the visiting keeper was badly let down by his central defenders as the hosts took an unassailable lead.
Ben Chilwell was also at fault when Bradley lost the ball poorly. The defender exchanged passes with Jones and found Diogo Jota in space outside the Chelsea area. The striker ducked between non-existent challenges from Thiago Silva and Benoît Badiashile – John Terry, looking on from the outside, must have been sick – and slotted a close-range finish beyond Petrovic. The goal stood after a VAR review for a possible handball by Jota when Silva hit a clearance against him.
Chelsea had their first penalty appeal dismissed when Conor Gallagher went down under a challenge from Virgil van Dijk. There was contact from the Liverpool captain’s hand and knee but Gallagher collapsed far too easily.
Liverpool extended the courtesy of their first goal down south for the club. Luis Díaz got away from Enzo Fernández to send Bradley drifting down the right. The youngster showed superb composure to sweep a low finish beyond Petrovic and into the far corner. Anfield celebrations were again halted by VAR reviewing a possible foul by Jota on Chilwell, who insisted he would have otherwise occupied Bradley’s space, before the goalscorer was allowed to score his moment taste after all.
It should have been three before the break. Tierney ruled in Liverpool’s favor again when Badashile stepped on Jota’s foot inside the area. The referee had no hesitation in pointing the point but Núñez hit the post when Petrovic was diving the other way.
Pochettino made his feelings clear in Chelsea’s anemic first half. The manager made three substitutions at the interval and should have been immediately rewarded when one, Malo Gusto, broke clear and headed another, Mykhailo Mudryk. Unmarked and 10 yards out, Mudryk skied high into the Anfield Road stand.
Bradley’s evening went from strength to strength. He made five assists in four outings when he received Van Dijk’s cross-field ball and a clean sprint from Badashile, now moved out to left-back in place of Chilwell. When he had the upper hand he delivered a brilliant cross into the penalty area and Dominik Szoboszlai rose above the Chelsea defense to head home.
Christopher Nkunku injected some much needed threat into Chelsea’s attack and pulled one back when he headed Carney Chukwuemeka’s ball into the bottom corner. A penalty claim was also turned down after a kick in the heel from Van Dijk. Núñez hit the woodwork again with a header from Andy Robertson’s cross before setting up Díaz’s fourth with a volleyed cross to the back post. Liverpool are on a roll when they meet Arsenal on Sunday.
