Chelsea 2 Liverpool 1: match report

Read a full match report of the Premier League game between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday Dec 29, 2013

Once again, Chelsea and Liverpool took a walk on the wild side. Once again, the rivalry spilt over. Samuel Eto’o, Oscar and Lucas could easily have been dismissed. But once again, there was some breathtaking football, much of it flowing from the marvellous Eden Hazard, vibrant in possession, diligent in tracking back and deservedly man of a thrilling match

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Once the cordite cleared, and the injured Frank Lampard, Branislav Ivanovic, Mamadou Sakho and Joe Allen were being tended backstage, it was obvious that Chelsea have to be respected as title contenders under the inspirational Jose Mourinho.

Responding to Martin Skrtel’s early goal, Chelsea played some of their best football of the season, a mix of the combative and the creative. John Terry, making his 600th appearance for the club, David Luiz and Willian pushed Hazard hard for the sponsors’ honours.

There was an intensity to Chelsea’s football, a steel in central midfield and at the back, and a fluidity moving forward. Hunger too. Liverpool stir their blood.

Once the smoke blew from the fray it was also very apparent that Liverpool’s squad requires strengthening. Brendan Rodgers had said that “we’ve built the house and now we have to decorate the inside” but there is still plenty of work to be done on the foundations first. The defence needs bolstering. Further forward, Rodgers simply did not have sufficient options to change the game from the bench with Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge injured and Victor Moses unable to play against his parent club.