Advantage for Man City as Chelsea and Liverpool play out a thrilling 2-2 draw
Chelsea produced a stunning first-half fightback to salvage a 2-2 draw against Liverpool as Manchester City‘s rivals served up a Premier League classic which did little for either sides’ title aspirations.
Liverpool looked on course to emerge as the primary challengers to City’s crown as goals from Sadio Mane, who escaped a first-minute red card for an elbow on Cesar Azpilicueta, and Mohamed Salah saw the visitors race into a two-goal lead and silence Stamford Bridge inside the opening 26 minutes.
Liverpool could have been derailed inside 15 seconds had Mane been shown red and not yellow for catching Chelsea captain Azpilicueta in the face with a leading elbow.
It would take just eight more minutes for Mane to take full advantage of referee Anthony Taylor’s lenient reprieve as he pounced on Trevor Chalobah’s poor defensive header, rounded Chelsea goalkeeper Mendy, and slotted Liverpool into an early lead.
Chelsea rallied but to no avail and were two down after 26 minutes. Kai Havertz‘s inability to hold-up play resulted in him being dispossessed and Trent Alexander-Arnold floating a pass up to Salah, who skipped effortlessly around Marcos Alonso before producing an unerring finish at Mendy’s near post.
Chelsea were floored and on the brink of seeing the game slip away from them, with the hosts indebted to a goal-saving challenge from Chalobah, who atoned for his earlier mistake by preventing Salah from adding a third on the counter and putting Liverpool out of sight.
But Chelsea, who dropped club-record signing Romelu Lukaku, produced a spirited comeback in the space of four first-half minutes.
A lifeline was provided thanks to a bolt from the blue from Kovacic, whose pinpoint volley from the edge of the box swerved away from stand-in Liverpool goalkeeper Kelleher before cannoning in off the post.
With Chelsea’s hopes ignited on the pitch, the hosts completed the most thrilling of comebacks before the half was up, with N’Golo Kante hooking a pass in behind the Liverpool defence which Pulisic latched onto before lobbing over Kelleher and sparking wild celebrations inside Stamford Bridge.
The platform was there for both Chelsea and Liverpool to push on and claim a victory which would have taken a chunk out of Manchester City’s 11-point lead at the top of the table, but inspired saves from Caoimhin Kelleher and Edouard Mendy ensured the spoils were shared.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has scored four goals against Chelsea in the Premier League, the joint-most any player has scored against them after playing for them in the competition, along with Kevin De Bruyne
The result means Chelsea remain second, 10 points behind leaders City, and a point and a place ahead of third-place Liverpool, who have played a game fewer than their title rivals.
Chelsea host Tottenham on Wednesday at 7.45pm before Liverpool travel to Arsenal on Thursday at 7.45pm in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
