Liverpool and Chelsea squared off at Anfield on Thursday night with Thomas Tuchel’s men grabbing a 1-0 win thanks to a brilliant first-half strike from Mason Mount.
Following the full-time whistle, former Liverpool forward Jamie Carragher slammed Georginio Wijnaldum, claiming that the midfielder put in a lacklustre shift.
Carragher stated that the Liverpool man failed to make important runs on Thursday and showed signs of fatigue in the centre of the park.
Speaking on Sky Sports, via HITC, Carragher said:
“We talk about Liverpool on the high press and how often they win the ball back. I can’t remember once tonight where they have won the ball back in a dangerous position."
“Some Liverpool players look like they can’t run. I was just watching Wijnaldum there, he just let the player go – Chilwell just looks so much sharper and quicker," noted Carragher.
Carragher highlighted the moment when Wijnadum was left for dead by a simple one-two pass exchange between Ziyech and Chilwell, leading to the latter having a go at goal in the second half.
“I don’t think it’s a lack of effort, there’s just something missing,” said Carragher. "I watched Gini Wijnaldum get done on a one-two. They want to do things but can’t quite get there. I don’t know if it’s the same players playing week in week out, on the back of high-intensity football.”
Liverpool dropped more points at home against Chelsea
Liverpool have now dropped another three points at home this season as they were handed a fifth straight defeat at Anfield by a brilliant Chelsea side.
Both Liverpool and Chelsea came into this fixture desperate for a win as they looked to return to the top four in the Premier League. This was the second meeting between Liverpool and Chelsea this season, with the hosts grabbing a 2-0 win thanks to Sadio Mane’s second-half brace in the reverse fixture in September.
However, Liverpool looked a shadow of their former selves on Thursday as they were torn apart by a hungry Chelsea side. The Reds have now dropped 36 points after 27 games in contrast to last season, where they had picked up 79 points at this stage in the campaign.
Liverpool and Chelsea will now take on Fulham and Everton, respectively. While the Reds will be looking to regain some momentum, the London club will aim to build on their impressive win at Anfield.