Liverpool 'a step forward' of Chelsea, admits Maurizio Sarri after West Ham draw

Having previously been top of the table on goal difference, Chelsea's 0-0 draw at West Ham allowed Liverpool to go clear on their own

Maurizio Sarri admitted that Liverpool are "a step forward" of Chelsea right now, after his side dropped their first points of the season in a dull 0-0 draw away to West Ham United.

Having previously been top of the table on goal difference, the result meant Chelsea's winning run ended at five games and allowed Liverpool to go clear on their own. The two sides are set to meet twice over the next week, in the League Cup at Anfield and then in the league at Stamford Bridge, with the latter match suddenly losing a little of its spark.

"We have to play against a very, very good team," Sarri said. "Against a team who have worked with the same coach for three or four years. They are a step forward of us at this moment. We have started to work all together 35/40 days ago and, 40 days ago less 10 for the international break, so for us it's a bit early. We have to work then, maybe, in one year we will be at the same level as Liverpool.”

As for why Chelsea's results suddenly slowed down, the Italian had one explanation and one demand to make them a genuine Sarri team.

“We need to move the ball quicker, I think. We need more movement without the ball. We are improving in the defensive phase. In the last two or three matches, we've done very well. But we have to improve in the offensive phase, especially in this kind of match.”

Sarri did give credit to West Ham, especially as regards nullifying a quiet Eden Hazard.

"Today it was very difficult to play inside. They were cutting out very well every pass for Giroud, so we needed two wingers, I think. Hazard in the last 25 minutes did very well, more on the right than the left, but it was very difficult today for the striker and the two wingers.

"I knew that West Ham are a very good team. I don't know why they lost their first four matches in the league, but they are really a very good team. Maybe now in confidence after they won away against Everton. And so, maybe we could have done better in the last 25 minutes of the first half. Then, I think that we have played very well... well in the second half, generally, but very well only in the last 25 minutes. So it's impossible to win every match. It's okay, one point, for today.”

Antonio Rudiger had to go off for Gary Cahill after 70 minutes, but Sarri does not think it's serious.

“I don't know. I want to speak with the doctor, but I think nothing serious. Maybe three or four days, no more.”

West Ham meanwhile kept their first clean sheet of the season, with Manuel Pellegrini believing that reflects what has been done on the training ground.

“First of all, yes a first clean sheet, so that shows the team has worked harder. In that sense, I'm happy. When you have such clear chances against a big team, you must score at least one of them. You must score. They had a lot of possession because we allowed them to have the ball.

Antonio Rudiger was forced off with an injury (Getty Images)

“We forced them to play most of the game from the right side, not the left side where Marcos Alonso and Hazard are so dangerous. The first half was very clear, the way I wanted to play. The second we maybe lost too many balls. But against these teams, a draw is not a bad point.”

Andriy Yarmolenko did miss the best chance of the game with one header right in front of goal, with Pellegrini arguing that the chance was so easy it might have made him too "relaxed".

“Maybe it seemed easier to score than miss. Maybe he relaxed a bit more. But there were two very clear chances in the first half. They had one clear chance where Lukasz [Fabianski] saved from [Alvaro] Morata. Always difficult to score.”