Liverpool vs Chelsea LIVE: Premier League score, result and reaction from flat goalless draw at Anfield
Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea: Mykhailo Mudryk made his Blues debut but neither side relieved the pressure on Jurgen Klopp or Graham Potter
Liverpool and Chelsea continued their disappointing seasons as the injury-hit mid-table teams played out an uninspiring 0-0 draw at Anfield in the Premier League.
Chelsea thought they had raced into a third-minute lead when Kai Havertz fired home from close range after a corner, only for VAR to rule the German offside.
Liverpool seemed shorn of confidence as they looked to avoid three straight league defeats, only creating half chances with new signing Cody Gakpo missing the best of them in the opening period.
The visitors introduced big-money January arrival Mykhailo Mudryk in the second half but, while he looked lively, the Ukrainian was unable to lift the Blues, who earned a point that leaves them 10th in the standings, with Liverpool eighth.
Relive the action as Liverpool draw with Chelsea at Anfield:
Liverpool and Chelsea’s decline detailed with chances to salvage gloomy season
Liverpool and Chelsea meet each other in a crucial Premier League game on Saturday lunchtime.
Both sides finished in the top four last season but are faring much worse this time round, sitting in ninth and 10th respectively and trailing fourth-placed Newcastle by 10 points.
With Liverpool having gathered 28 points from 18 games and Chelsea on the same tally from 19 matches, both are tracking well behind 2021-22 when they each had 41 points at the halfway stage.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the extent of their declines and their chances of recovery in the second half of the campaign.
Liverpool and Chelsea’s decline detailed with chances to salvage gloomy season
The two teams meet at Anfield on Saturday looking to give their respective Premier League campaigns a major boost
Liverpool vs Chelsea
Mykhailo Mudryk is poised to become the second Ukrainian to make a Premier League appearance for Chelsea, after Andriy Shevchenko.
If he’s to make his debut today, it will come from off the bench.
Liverpool vs Chelsea
Graham Potter could emulate Ron Atkinson and Kevin Keegan by becoming the third English manager to win a Premier League away match at Anfield with two clubs.
His Chelsea team aren’t in great form though so it’ll be a difficult task to accomplish today.
Liverpool vs Chelsea
Jurgen Klopp’s side have let in 25 league goals, just one fewer than in the whole of last season.
If they fail to win this game, Liverpool will have their lowest points tally at the halfway stage of a Premier League campaign since 2014/15.
Blues lacking goals
Chelsea’s tally of 22 goals is their fewest at the halfway stage of a Premier League season since 1995/96. Will their new €100m signing Mykhailo Mudryk help them resolve this problem in front of goal?
Jurgen Klopp hints at future Liverpool plans for ‘full throttle’ James Milner
Jurgen Klopp has urged Liverpool to keep James Milner by saying his character and attitude make him uniquely valuable – and suggested they have ideas for his future both as a player and a coach.
The vice-captain has entered the last few months of his contract and has only started four league games this season but Klopp was impressed with his display in Tuesday’s FA Cup win at Wolves and sees him as an excellent option for any match.
Milner is also working to get his coaching badges and is taking some training sessions with younger age-group sides at the club’s Kirkby base.
Milner is 37 but does not want to retire yet and, after eight seasons at Anfield, Klopp feels Liverpool has become the club the boyhood Leeds fan is most associated with.
Klopp hints at future Liverpool plans for ‘full throttle’ Milner
The vice-captain at Anfield has been a key part of the Reds’ push for titles over the past few years though increasingly plays a bigger role off the pitch rather than on it these days
Liverpool vs Chelsea
Chelsea are without a win in five successive away league games - they’ve drawn twice and lost three times in that run.
It’s their worst such run since 2015 which is increasing the pressure on manager Graham Potter.
Liverpool vs Chelsea
Liverpool may concede in nine straight Premier League games for the first time since May to October 2016. They’ve been uncharacteristically poor in defence this season with teams taking advantage of their high line to get in behind.
Can Chelsea do the same this afternoon?
Liverpool vs Chelsea team changes
Jurgen Klopp makes three changes to the Liverpool side that beat Wolves in the FA Cup on Tuesday. Alisson, Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah come into the starting line-up while the fit-again Darwin Nunez is on the bench after missing the last two games.
Chelsea make just one change to the XI that started their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace last weekend with Marc Cucurella coming in for Carney Chukwuemeka.
Mykhailo Mudryk is on the bench.
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