- Chelsea fell 2-1 to Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday
- Spirited Blues performance saw Nicolas Jackson level scores after Mo Salah penalty
- Plenty of positives and learnings for Enzo Maresca to take away
Chelsea came up short at Anfield on Sunday, falling to a competitive 2-1 defeat to Liverpool.
Regardless of the result, it was a positive step forward for Chelsea, who went toe-to-toe with one of the Premier League title favourites and were, once again, their own worst enemies. There was a lot to like about Chelsea’s performance, but also plenty of issues to address.
If you watched any of Romeo Lavia in pre-season, his performance against Liverpool will not have come as a surprise. The Belgian was flying before an injury sent him back to the sidelines.
Surprisingly brought straight back into the starting lineup here, Lavia showed so much composure on the ball and did not hesitate to make his influence known. His quick feet, coupled with some tough-tackling in defence, helped him boss the midfield battle during his time on the pitch.
Load management saw Lavia withdrawn early in the second half, leaving Chelsea fans wondering whether they might have been able to snatch a point if he had been able to continue.
Does Maresca lack faith in Fernandez and Mudryk?
It’s these sort of high-profile games that really tell you what you need to know about a manager. Enzo Maresca stayed true to his tactical principles, but it was the personnel deployed to bring that vision to life that caught the eye.
Enzo Fernandez was dropped to the bench in place of a half-fit Lavia. You can obviously point to the fact that South Americans usually return late from international duty, but Ecuador international Moises Caicedo played the full 90 minutes. Perhaps his underwhelming run of form caught up to him.
As for Mykhailo Mudryk, the Ukraine international didn’t even get a spot on the bench, having previously been publicly challenged by Maresca on his output. It’s too early to jump to conclusions, but you can’t help but wonder whether his future at Chelsea is in doubt.