The match report from up in the North West, as Chelsea returned to action to face Liverpool in their final game before the big FA Cup final next weekend
This afternoon, Chelsea faced Liverpool at Anfield for the opening game of Premier League match day 36.
For the task at hand, Calum McFarlane opted for an XI of; Jorgensen; Fofana, Colwill, Hato; Gusto, Santos, Caicedo, Cucurella; Palmer, Fernandez, Pedro.
In really good news, Colwill was named in the starting XI for the first time since the Club World Cup final, having made his return with 45 minutes off the bench against Nottingham Forest on Monday.
Whilst the bench consisted of; Slonina, James, Acheampong, Tosin, Chalobah, Lavia, Eboue, Delap, Kavuma-McQueen.
After just six minutes, the hosts took the lead. Former Cobham winger Rio Ngumoha - amongst loud boos from the away end - laid the ball off for Ryan Gravenberch who curled the ball home with, in fairness, a sublime finish.
Two minutes later, a ball towards Gusto at the back post was cut back by the Frenchman, but top defending from Virgil van Dijk prevented a Pedro shot from close range. A few minutes later, van Dijk himself should have made it 2-0, completely unmarked at the back post, but fired over.
Around the half hour mark, a lofted pass from Caicedo in behind found Cucurella, but the goalkeeper was immediately on his tail as he tried to bring the ball down with his chest. Just a couple of minutes prior, he had forced a save from a tight angle.
With just over ten minutes of the first half remaining, Chelsea equalised. A low driven free kick from Enzo Fernandez appeared to go all the way in, although Wesley Fofana was claiming he got a touch. This came after a sustained spell of territory from the Blues.
Shortly after, the Argentine international should have had his and Chelsea's second of the game, but could not convert his left footed effort when through one on one. A good ball from Caicedo to play him in.
Not even five minutes into the second half, Chelsea thought they took the lead when Palmer fired home a loose ball from close range, but Cucurella had strayed slightly offside in the build up. Unlucky.
With 27 minutes of the game remaining, James came on for Santos, to make his first appearance since the 14th of March. Very handy one week removed from the FA Cup final.
Later on, with a little over ten minutes remaining, van Dijk rattled the crossbar with a header, the second time he could have scored in the game, but Chelsea managed to survive.
Well, that was that. A first point in the Premier League for Chelsea since the 1st of March. An improvement, but it essentially ends any chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
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