Chelsea finally showed some heart against Liverpool – but Man City won’t be as generous as the Reds

Chelsea finally showed some heart against Liverpool – but Man City won’t be as generous as the Reds

This is a syndicated version of this story, originally featured on the BBC Sport website.

Chelsea broke a losing run and picked up a draw against Liverpool in the Premier League, giving them a sliver of hope as they head into a week of preparation for Saturday’s FA Cup final.

But is there any reason to believe this Blues team have a chance against Manchester City? Did they really show signs of improvement at Anfield or were they just up against a Liverpool team who matched them for fragility and disorganisation?

Certainly, the early signs in the game weren’t good. After conceding after a couple of minutes against Nottingham Forest a week ago, the Blues made it just five this time before allowing Ryan Gravenberch space on the edge of the box to blast one in.

Despite coaches and players saying after every recent game that this issue is something they need to work on, nothing has changed.

Chelsea show some grit at last

What did improve a little compared with recent months was the response. Chelsea actually looked like a team with belief they could get back into the game, a huge departure from their usual defeatist shrugs and recriminations.

But the reason that belief was able to grow was the home team were so hesitant themselves. Huge gaps in midfield allowed the likes of to get on the ball and turn the tide. Manchester City won’t give up even a fraction of the space Liverpool did.