Playing their first Premier League match since Jurgen Klopp’s resignation announcement last Friday (January 26), Liverpool put on a show for the Anfield faithful, securing a massive 4-1 victory over Mauricio Pochettino’s in-form Chelsea. The Blues came into the match on the back of three consecutive Premier League victories, but the Reds were simply a league above them on Wednesday night (January 31). Diogo Jota, Conor Bradley, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Luis Diaz were on the scoresheet for the hosts while Christopher Nkunku scored the visitors’ consolation goal.
Conor Bradley Mesmerizes Anfield Against Chelsea
Premier League leaders Liverpool needed a victory on Wednesday to stay five points clear of second-placed Manchester City. Without the brilliant Mohamed Salah, it looked like quite a challenge for the Merseysiders, but they found an unlikely hero in their academy graduate Bradley. The 20-year-old right-back, who was filling in for Trent Alexander-Arnold, delivered a masterclass in attacking play, recording two assists and a goal against Chelsea.
In the 23rd minute, Bradley robbed Ben Chilwell of possession and played a perfectly weighted through ball for Jota. Benefitting from a deflection, the Portuguese squeezed through Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile and found the bottom-right corner with a fine finish.
Six minutes before the break, Bradley scored the first goal of his young Liverpool career. Making the most of Raheem Sterling’s reluctant defending, the youngster charged down the right flank. Diaz spotted the fullback’s run and fed him the ball. Full of confidence, Bradley applied a thumping finish to send the ball into the bottom-left corner of Djordje Petrovic’s goal.
Two minutes after the restart, Bradley added another assist to his name, finding Szoboszlai’s head with a gem of a cross. The way the youngster beat Badiashile with a change of pace was a thing of beauty.
Klopp hooked Bradley in the 68th minute, with Alexander-Arnold taking his place, but he had already secured his Player of the Match award. Against Chelsea, the Northern Ireland star created four chances, played seven passes into the final third, won two tackles, and came out on top in eight duels.
Liverpool Ace Darwin Nunez Makes Undesirable Premier League Record
Operating as the Reds’ lone center-forward on Wednesday, Darwin Nunez had plenty of opportunities to find the back of the net. But the ball just would not go in for him.
In the 18th minute, the Uruguayan went for goal with a low effort, compelling Petrovic to dive and push it onto the post. Liverpool won a spot-kick in first-half injury time, and Nunez stepped up to take it. The former Benfica man seemingly aimed for the top-right corner but his calculation was off, with it slamming straight against the right post and coming back into the box. Nunez hit the woodwork once again in the 75th minute, directing a powerful header straight at the crossbar despite having the goal at his mercy.
Darwin Núñez is the first player to hit the woodwork four times in a Premier League game since Opta records began in 2003/04. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/GCJKUwAO5R
— Squawka (@Squawka) January 31, 2024
Against Chelsea, Nunez hit the post an astonishing four times — the most by a player in a Premier League match since Opta records began in the 2003-04 season.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
