Liverpool had no problems finding the back of the net, while Chelsea continued to struggle in front of goal. Mauricio Pochettino has a big problem to try to solve.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino inherited a Chelsea team with many missing pieces.
Liverpool may need it given the chances they have had earlier this season with some shaky and suspect defending, but Jurgen Klopp’s attacking line-up appears to have plenty of firepower.
Only Manchester City, Spurs and Brighton have scored more Premier League goals than Liverpool so far this season, despite the Reds having had tougher games earlier in the season and with no one really counting, running at full speed.
This shows how exciting the restructuring of Liverpool’s forward line could be in the coming months.
There are already promising signs, but the Reds could really play free if they are firing on all cylinders.
On the other hand, Chelsea lost points again this weekend, drawing 0-0 against a Bournemouth team that Liverpool had finally easily defeated a few weeks ago.
Despite spending more than $1 billion on transfers last year, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have scored just five goals in five games and are currently 14th in the table.
The Argentine did not hesitate to criticize his attackers, with Nicolas Jackson proving to be a hit or miss player and Mykhailo Mudryk not living up to his expectations.
“Mudryk still has to learn; the Premier League is very fast, the speed of the game is very high,” the Chelsea manager told Sky Sports.
“I think it’s about understanding the game better; trying to be more connected to the team at times. We have to give him the time and the tools to improve throughout the season.”
Mudryk, also signed on an eight-year contract at Stamford Bridge, was signed for a fee of $107m (£86m/€100m) and has yet to start.
The 22-year-old has made 21 appearances for his new club, but he is yet to score and has provided just two assists to his teammates.
His manager’s comments about getting used to the league and his teammates are valid to some extent, but he has now been in England for six months and the constant turnover of players around him is Chelsea’s problem.
He is clearly a very good player. There is a reason why Arsenal, Brentford and others were keen to sign Mudryk too and he is young enough to show his true character in the future.
But with Chelsea struggling to score and seemingly unable to find players who can attack well and score goals, the Ukrainian finds himself in a position where the pressure is on.
“A few weeks ago, Cole Palmer, wearing a Manchester City shirt, would have simply opened up his body and fired a shot towards the far post without thinking,”
Chelsea reporter Liam Twomey wrote on Twitter during the /X match.
The Chelsea game last weekend, when another opportunity presented itself. “Why do all these kids become so indecisive as soon as they arrive at Chelsea? It’s bizarre.”
Compare that to the value Liverpool have found in attack and the contrast couldn’t be clearer.
Former Chelsea player Mohamed Salah is the obvious example, but Luis Díaz, Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo have also been arrested recently.
In some ways the jury is still out on Núñez’s value, given how much he cost, but he has been more productive than any recent Chelsea striker, even if Christopher Nkunku has been unlucky with injury.
Before Díaz, Núñez and Gakpo, Liverpool also bought Diogo Jota, who scores a goal or provides an assist in all of the Reds’ other appearances.
He was signed for about half the cost of Mudryk and is a much better buy based on the evidence available so far.
Chelsea are doing their best to prove that recruiting game-changing attacking players is the most difficult task for a recruiting team to complete. Luckily for Liverpool, that’s the case.
