Henderson's sumptuous strike helps Liverpool to Chelsea win

A statement of intent was delivered here by a team who aspire to play an active part in the title race, but it was not offered up by Chelsea.

The goalkeeper had dropped an earlier Sturridge shot, which actually proved a sign of the sloppiness to come. Everything was awkward about Chelsea’s defending, their back four offered next to no respite by the rather sluggish nature of their own forwards, who were utterly unable to relieve the pressure. That inability to clear their lines would cost them again before the break.

Cahill could only scuff a clearance from Adam Lallana’s touch after a throw-in, with the ball landing with Jordan Henderson 25 yards out. The England midfielder’s first touch was magnificent, his second just as sumptuous as his shot curled gloriously and dipped late. Courtois summoned a dive but was despairing long before the ball careered into the net.

Conte, the frustration mounting in the technical area, had not witnessed a display this soporific up to now and must have been tempted to fling on replacements. When Liverpool had prevailed here last October, providing Klopp with his first Premier League victory in the process, the Londoners had already entered the nosedive which would eventually see José Mourinho dismissed. This was supposed to be different.

Yet even this team, with its sprinkling of Champions League winners, can still look leaderless at times when Ivanovic labours, Costa is isolated and there are only sporadic glimpses of quality from the midfield line.

The sight of Milner, a makeshift left-back, stealing possession from Costa with a perfectly executed tackle just as the forward threatened still summed it up. Yet at least Chelsea were starting to draw their lone striker into the contest. He would provide them with hope on the hour. Nemanja Matic, so becalmed up to then, glided to the byline beyond a sliding Joel Matip and clipped his pull-back towards the striker. Costa, adjusting his body shape, poked his shot through Milner’s legs on the line and the deficit was halved.

Simon Mignolet calmly choked another effort from the Spain international moments later yet, after that flurry of pressure, it was actually the visitors who should have extended their lead. Courtois did wonderfully well to block Divock Origi’s downward header on his line from Milner’s deflected cross while a trio of Chelsea substitutes prepared to make their entry. Yet the visitors’ anxiety at the death did not bring Conte respite. His unbeaten record has gone, shattered by the first fellow contender his team have confronted.

Source: Guardian

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