Klopp ends 1000th game as manager in scoreless draw

Jurgen Klopp is optimistic of winning his 1000th game as manager and 411th as coach of The Reds when they welcome Chelsea to Anfield. However, it was not a happy ending as his team could only manage a 0-0 draw, which still left the Reds in mid-table.

Germany made five changes to the side that lost at Brighton last weekend, as Stefan Bajcetic made his first Premier League start in the crucial encounter. The Blues, however, started the game without new mega-signing, Mykhailo Mudryk.

In the third minute, Kai Havertz thought he had given Chelsea the perfect start when he grabbed the rebound after Thiago Silva’s effort came back off the woodwork, but VAR ruled out the effort for offside.

Liverpool responded, but Cody Gakpo headed Mohamed Salah’s pass over the bar.

In the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, James Milner is on duty for Liverpool on the right. In the eighth minute, Benoit Badiashile blocked Milner’s pass in the 10th minute. The 20-year-old defender continued to keep the experienced Kalidou Koulibaly out of the Chelsea team.

Chelsea had another scoring chance to break the deadlock from Havertz’s cross to Mason Mount, who dipped to send the ball to Lewis Hall, but Alison Becker easily saved her shot in the 22nd minute.

Ten minutes later, Alison latched on to Badiashile’s header from a Hakim Ziyech free-kick, and two minutes later, Stefan Bajcetic was the first player to be booked by referee Michael Oliver after the midfielder’s tackle on Lewis Hall.

However, Liverpool had the first shot from Thiago Alcantara, but Kepa Arrizabalaga saved in the 38th minute.

The first half ended with Chelsea having the better of the first half.

Four minutes into the second half, Thiago Silva cleared a dangerous situation created by Gakpo’s shot after a half-volley by Badiashile.

Mudryk came on for Hall in the 53rd minute, and the Ukrainian made a quick start as he was booked by Milner in the 65th minute after he ran past Milner.

Darwin Nunez entered the game in the 63rd minute for Naby Keita, and six minutes later, he hijacked a poor pass from Trevoh Chalobah to Hakim Ziyech, then released the ball to Gakpo, who fired straight at Kepa.

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Kepa then saved another Liverpool effort from Nunez in the 74th minute. Nunez continued to pressure Chelsea’s defense and, in the 83rd minute, sent a cross to Alexander-Arnold, who smashed the ball off target.

Two minutes later, Carney Chukwuemeka and Marek Mudryk failed to capitalize on a one-two effort in the Liverpool defensive area after the Englishman tripped after receiving a late pass from Ukraine.

In the end, both sides ended the match entirely – a result that did not benefit either team in the hunt for Champions League football.