The Man in The Shed

16^th April – Slip up

You can understand how English teams struggle on the European stage when they’re having to play every 3 days. Whilst Porto and Slavia Prague are hardly two of the real heavyweights of the game it wasn’t going to help Chelsea or Liverpool having to battle it out half way between important two legged quarter finals.

The game certainly wasn’t going to be easy. On top of having to take on one of the top two teams in the league we were having to cope with the added emotions of the Hillsborough anniversary and the sad death of Liverpool legend Tommy Smith.

Yet again we were starting with Loftus-Cheek and Hudson-Odoi ! As much as it pains me to say so I reckon the manager was right when he said the two young Englishmen weren’t  ready earlier in the season. They both seem to understand now their defensive duties when we don’t have the ball.

Unsurprisingly the first minutes of the game were all Liverpool. Driven on by a fervent crowd they were swarming all over us. Salah really should have scored in those first moments when free at the back post but shinned a shot and it was saved. Having managed to survive the onslaught after 15 minutes we were finally able to get some offensive possession. We were not having much of the ball but we were making a few chances – Hazard had a shot saved; Willian on the break perhaps should have done more but shot wide.

Perhaps a pivotal moment in the first half was the loss of Rüdiger– having gone down earlier and had treatment he was on the ground again. Our best defender by far taken off after 38 minutes – Christensen was on to replace him.

Much of Liverpool’s attack was funnelled down our right side. Mane went past Dave again and the Spaniard took him down. Yellow card and living on the edge for the majority of the game ! The resultant free kick sailed into the area, a Liverpool boot forced it goalwards.  Kepa saved (but it was offside anyway).

Somehow we’d managed to make it half time unscathed. Whilst Liverpool had the majority of the possession, the number of clear chances were few and far between.

As the players took a breather my thoughts drifted to previous away performances this year. Would we fold again like those dreadful matches at Bournemouth and Everton ?

The second half started like the first. The Liverpool players were attacking the Kop. It took all of five minutes before we conceded. A well-crafted goal by Henderson (chipping like Tiger Woods) and Mane is free at the back post. He we go again.

Could we stem the tide ? Liverpool really were going for the jugular now. Before my pulse rate had calmed Salah picks up the ball, leaves Emerson for dead and blasts an unstoppable shot past Kepa from 20 yards. Nobody was going to stop that. I just had to acknowledge what a great goal that was.

This could have been Man City all over again. I was already mentally hoping we’d not concede again but our team were suddenly alive. Higuaín was on for Hudson-Odoi and we were taking the game to Liverpool. Hazard was through but hits the post. Again Hazard but a tame shot is saved. Dave crosses but nobody is in the six yard box to convert. The game is end to end and we should have been back in this.

That was about as good as it got. We had our period of dominance but failed to score.

So what had I learned from today ? On the positive side we reacted well after conceding two quick goals. On another day we might have scored quickly and maybe a comeback would have been on. Sarri acknowledged this improved resilience in his press conference.

On the negative side we are clearly struggling for a top four spot because we are unable to get results against our top six rivals away from home. Whilst at Stamford Bridge we have beaten City, Arsenal and Spurs (drawing with United and Liverpool); away from home we are nought and four (conceding 13 goals and scoring 1).

With other results going against us over the weekend we are now struggling to stay in the top four. It’s going to go all the way to the last weekend.

A whole four days and it is back to the Europa League. This could be our only way into the Champions League next season.