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LIVE BLOG
FULL-TIME: 1-1. Feels worse.
90+4min: Barkley wins a free kick out wide. Hazard swings it in, Liverpool clear for a corner. Hazard takes, and Alonso’s header at the near post goes high. Unlucky.
90+1min: A scramble in the Liverpool box, but Alisson catches the ball eventually as Moses takes a swing.
89min: And out of nowhere, Sturridge scores a goal of the season contender, just over the outstretched fingertips of Kepa into the top corner. Huh.
86min: Sturridge, the Liverpool goalscorer from Wednesday night, replaces Milner in the game’s final substitution.
84min: A long-range effort from Keita spins wide. Liverpool broke upfield after Moses wasn’t able to beat two inside their penalty area.
83min: Barkley loses the ball unnecessarily and then David Luiz fouls Mané, also unnecessarily. Shooting position for Shaqiri, but it’s straight into the arms of Arrizabalaga.
82min: Good pressure by Morata almost gifts him a chance but Alisson is quick to clear.
80min: Morata loses the ball with an attempted flick for Hazard as Liverpool maintain possession. David Luiz eventually thumps the ball out of play and Barkley completes Chelsea’s set of changes, with Kovačić, who has the game’s only assist so far, making way.
77min: Milner gets a yellow as he brings down Moses on the counter. Hazard takes but both Morata and David Luiz run way off. Keita replaces Henderson, who’s not exactly happy about it.
72min: Another goal line clearance, David Luiz this time! Chelsea hanging on. Moses comes on for Willian
70min: Shaqiri misses a sitter as Azpilicueta slips and Robertson is presented with a clear chance to cross low.
68min: Hazard almost works a shot for himself, but goes down as he pulls the trigger (no foul?). The ball ends up with Morata, but his shot is blocked. Another shot soon after is saved by Alisson, who’s certainly earned his transfer fee today.
65min: Morata on for Giroud in the game’s first sub. Klopp responds by putting on Shaqiri for Salah.
63min: Salah fouls David Luiz. Kanté takes the free kick quickly and Hazard is in 1-v-1 ... you’d put money on him to score, but Alisson makes the save. Wasted opportunity.
60min: A bit of indecision at the back between Azpi, Rüdi, and Kepa leads to a failed clearance and a Mané shot, but Kepa’s down quickly to push it out for a corner. Salah has a shot from the corner, but Rudi deflects it for another corner. Liverpool go short this time and Hazard clears for a throw. Chelsea then win it back, Kanté sends Willian down the middle on the counter but he’s caught from behind and Gomez clears for a corner. Phew!
57min: A spell if Liverpool pressure ends in Kepa catching a deep cross. But Liverpool win the ball back.
54min: Liverpool win a corner as Alonso blocks a TAA cross. Chelsea defend it well and launch a counter instead but Hazard’s pass for Kanté is cut out by Henderson at the last moment.
52min: Marriner letting a couple physical clashes go, until Henderson stays down. He’s okay to continue after a little breather.
48min: Kovačić next with a great chance but Van Dijk blocks. Kanté started that with a great ball across to Hazard. Liverpool survive.
47min: Another David Luiz ball over the top finds Willian. His touch takes him wide, where he beats his man and crosses for Giroud. His shot is ahead of the near post however.
46min: Back underway. No changes at half-time. Hazard almost immediately in after good combinations with Alonso and Giroud but Gomez cuts out the ball with a sliding tackle.
45+1min: HALF-TIME. ...aaaand breathe.
44min: Mané’s elaborate overhead kick goes well over head.
43min: Another important clearing header from David Luiz and Liverpool up the pressure once again.
40min: Willian fouls Alexander-Arnold and collects a painful step on his thigh. Chelsea defend and break upfield but Hazard is fouled. Yellow for Liverpool.
32min: Rüdiger off the line! Salah gets in between Alonso and David Luiz, takes it around Arrizabalaga, but can’t score. Huge play by Rüdi.
31min: Hazard fouls Milner for a free kick, which Azpilicueta clears for a corner. Except it’s given as a goal kick, much to Liverpool’s disbelief.
30min: Willian comes off worse in a physical challenge with Robertson and stays down holding his upper arm. Should be fine to continue, might have a bruise later.
29min: David Luiz with an important clearing header from underneath his own bar. Liverpool looking to hit back.
28min: Giroud almost gets his head to a Jorginho chipped cross. Chelsea buoyant.
25min: Great interplay in the middle gets Chelsea in. Kovačić finds Hazard with a tremendous through ball, and Eden finishes with his left foot. 1-0, CHELSEA!
22min: Willian’s pass to Kovačić cut out and Liverpool break forward through Salah. But Alonso gets back well enough to slow him down and the pass is poor and Kepa collects. Chelsea turn upfield and David Luiz launches a glorious long-ball to Willian, who’s in and 1-v-1 versus Alisson, but his first-touch is a big too long and the goalkeeper makes the save.
20min: Excellent tracking back but then a poor first touch by Kanté keeps Liverpool in possession.
18min: Firmino has a shot that’s half-blocked by David Luiz and cleared by Alonso. Liverpool’s corner is defended at the second asking. Kepa blasts it forward for Hazard to chase, hold on, and win a throw.
17min: Good bit of Chelsea possession but no real chance created. Alonso fouled as he passes but it’s not called and Liverpool have the throw.
14min: Jorginho’s pass forward is intercepted and Liverpool break forward. Mané’s shot is well wide.
13min: Chelsea manage to work the ball out this time, but the referee claims to have spotted some foul as Willian and Hazard break forward and the ball goes back to the visitors.
10min: Chelsea attempt to play out but Liverpool’s high press wins the ball back and maintain possession. Ball’s eventually worked to Salah, but his shot is well high and wide.
7min: Fancy feet from Giroud, Hazard, and Willian almost gets Hazard in on goal but a last ditch Liverpool tackle in the box saves their hides. Liverpool break up the other end where they lose the ball as Mane crumbles to the ground clutching his face after running into Rüdiger.
5min: A bouncing ball gets to Salah, who finds himself in space for a shot that’s easily saved by Kepa.
2min: Both teams almost threaten with near amazing through, but Willian cuts it out at one end and Hazard pulls back at the other for a bit of early possession.
KICK-OFF: And we’re off! Chelsea get us underway, with the typical ball down the left flank, which Liverpool defend easily.
Welcome to the Saturday Night Lights. Prime time. It’s a juicy matchup of third versus first, a rematch of sorts from Wednesday, the most played matchup in 21st century England getting played again. It’s a modern rivalry. It’s Sarri vs. Klopp, Sarrismo vs. Gegenpress. It’s blue vs. red, Blues vs. Red, and it’s live.
Here we go.
Chelsea starting lineup (4-3-3):
Arrizabalaga | Alonso, David Luiz, Rüdiger, Azpilicueta (c) | Kovačić, Jorginho, Kanté | Hazard, Giroud, Willian
Substitutes from: Caballero, Cahill, Zappacosta, Moses, Fàbregas, Barkley, Morata
No surprises from Sarri, with Rüdiger passing his fitness test to start alongside David Luiz. No such luck for Pedro, with Moses, Cesc, Barkley, and Morata the attacking options on the bench. No surprises for Liverpool either, with Van Dijk deemed fit.
Liverpool starting lineup (4-3-3):
Alisson | Robertson, Gomez, Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold | Milner, Henderson, Wijnaldum | Mane, Firmino, Salah
Substitutes from: Mignolet, Fabinho, Keita, Sturridge, Moreno, Shaqiri, Matip
Date / Time: Saturday, 29th September 2018; 17:30 BST, 12:30pm EDT; 10:00pm IST
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London, England
Referee: Andre Marriner
On TV: BT Sport 1 (UK), NBCSN, Telemundo (USA), Star Sports Select HD 1 (India); elsewhere
Streaming: BT Sport Live (UK), NBC Sports Live, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo (USA), Hotstar (India)
Be excellent to each other.