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MOTD: Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool – Costa and Chelsea without holes

By on November 8, 2014

For while Chelsea fans mocked Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip that cost Liverpool a match which ultimately began the process of unravelling their title race, there was no cruel slip today. There is nothing really for Liverpool to pin the loss on – except that Chelsea, at least in the second half, played better.

For the most part, it was the same last April, but this time, the roles were reversed. It was Chelsea’s match to lose, but they did not slip. In doing so, they are now eight points clear of their nearest title rivals. Like Liverpool were last season, Chelsea are now the most mesmerizing team to watch on the attack, but they have another quality Liverpool lacked – a solid defense. They do not slip up. Rather, they push forward.

This in difference is outlined by Diego Costa and Luis Suarez. Suarez was undoubtedly the best forward in the Premier League last season – but may as well shot himself in the foot by biting, not once or twice, but for the third time in his career. Costa does not. He is calm and collected, and when his chance came, he did pounce, but not on another player. In the sixty-sixth minute put the winner in for Chelsea with a clinical finish, creating a far different storyline from when Suarez bit Branislav Ivanovic in the same fixture and around the same time of the match in 2013.

Now, before I start gobsmacking over how Chelsea are the best team in the Premier League at the moment – keep one thing in mind. This is only a promising start. Liverpool were far closer to the title last April than Chelsea are now. But tonight, Chelsea proved that even when they slip, they get back up. Just nine minutes in Emre Can’s effort deflected in, yet Chelsea came back. They weren’t largely dominant, but kept together and struck down Liverpool – a quality that comes with being a Jose Mourinho team. In the second half, they even improved, flexing their attacking muscles more. Gary Cahill’s leveler just fourteen minutes in was largely due to poor defending from Liverpool off a corner. Chelsea, however, seem a complete team, with Costa being the cherry on the top.

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.