Fernández ends Chelsea’s run of defeats as lacklustre Liverpool are booed off

The optimistic take is that Chelsea avoided equalling their worst run of league defeats since 1952 and warmed up nicely for next Saturday’s FA Cup final with a merited draw at Liverpool. Optimism, however, was thin on the ground at Anfield where boos greeted the full-time whistle and Arne Slot’s decision to introduce Alexander Isak for Rio Ngumoha. His team are crawling towards Champions League qualification with dissent for company.

Enzo Fernández’s fortunate free-kick cancelled out an early strike from Ryan Gravenberch in a mediocre contest between two teams enduring mediocre campaigns. The sound of Anfield captured Liverpool’s display to perfection. The acclaim for an early lead and dominant opening gave way to jeers and whistles by the 39th minute as an increasingly lax home performance invited Chelsea to take the initiative.

All the pre-match criticism aimed at Chelsea after a run of six successive league defeats was given further substance by their latest slow start – ambling around in cup final weather when the interim head coach, Calum McFarlane, had called for more urgency from the first whistle in response to last week’s defeat by Nottingham Forest, the visitors fell behind quickly. A fine finish it was too.

Ngumoha, starting against the club whose academy he left in acrimonious circumstances, cut in from the left and found Gravenberch. The Liverpool midfielder shifted the ball on to his right foot and curled a thunderous shot beyond Filip Jörgensen from the edge of the area in the absence of a challenge from Malo Gusto. Jörgensen was deputising for Robert Sánchez, absent due to concussion protocols, and was poorly positioned as Gravenberch’s effort sailed over him and almost into the middle of his goal. It was the ninth goal Chelsea have conceded in the opening 10 minutes of a Premier League game this season, the club’s highest tally in the competition.

Virgil van Dijk should have made it two from Dominik Szoboszlai’s deep cross but volleyed over from six yards out when left unmarked by Fernández. Liverpool had Chelsea where they wanted them at that point. Ngumoha offered a persistent threat, Szoboszlai was finding space and the central midfield of Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister was in control. But they became far too passive, sitting back and allowing Chelsea to dominate possession, and the visitors found the contest to their liking.