With a prodigious shot, Sturridge responded to Hazard and allowed Liverpool to wrest the draw from Chelsea (1-1), in the shock of day 7. A result that puts Manchester City at the top of the league.
In less than a week, Chelsea thought she was hurting Liverpool. Very bad. After eliminating him in the Coupe de la Ligue (2-1), the Blues led a long time against the Reds (1-1), this Saturday, during the clash of the 7th day. But after taking the lead in the 25th minute of the game, Chelsea was joined at the end of the game on a marvel by Daniel Sturridge (1-1, 88′).
Unable to break the tie, the two teams can feel sorry for each other at the end of a match that has become very intense and rich in second period opportunities. Chelsea lost the win, after a 2-0 shot by Willian (60th) and Hazard (64th), and missed the chance to follow Manchester City in the standings.
Liverpool, on the other hand, could have done better if they had shown more realism : Salah saw his shot repulsed on the line by Rüdiger (32′), the same for Firmino on his head cover (David Luiz, 72′), Arrizabalaga made a sensational stop in front of Mané (58′) and Shaqiri missed the frame in an ideal position (70′).
In the end, no one benefits… Manchester City. Up to that point, the team from Mersey had lost the Championship to the reigning champion, who had won Brighton earlier in the day and had a better goal difference than him (+18 to +12).
The player: Hazard, thinking of Sarri
The day before, Maurizio Sarri, his coach, had estimated that Eden Hazard only played “at 75 or 80 % of its potential” and would become “the best player in the world “if he managed to” improve in training.”What if the Italian technician, for the rather severe blow, had it all right ? This Saturday, the Belgian first attracted the light. Already a goalscorer in Liverpool on Wednesday in the Coupe de la Ligue (2-1), the striker, beautifully thrown by Kovacic to the left of the surface, repeated by cheating Alisson with a shot from the left (1-0, 25′). But the former Lille player missed a 2-0 ball after the hour, losing a duel to the Brazilian goalkeeper (62′). A haphazard loser, who became the top scorer in the League (6 wins), who doubtless deprived Chelsea of the victory.
The goal: the masterpiece of Sturridge
He had already proved it in the Coupe de la Ligue against the Blues, opening the score of a superb turned-over : Daniel Sturridge knows how to score extraordinary goals. But if this one had finally proved vain, its achievement of the day, prodigious, is worth its weight in gold. Coming on at the 86th minute of play, instead of Milner, the attacker made his instincts speak. Served by Shaqiri 25 meters to the left of the surface, the British international then fired a left shot, placing the ball in the left skylight of Arrizabalaga (1-1, 89′). An achievement that allowed the Reds to remain undefeated in this championship and start off with a point from Stamford Bridge.