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LIVERPOOL have EQUALISED moments after Chelsea took the lead at Anfield!
After a dull start, Chelsea were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead after Ryan Gravenberch slid through the back of Moises Caicedo inside the box – Morgan Rogers dispatched to put his side ahead.
However, just two minutes later Wesley Fofana handled the ball as it came in from a corner to gift the Reds a way back into the game, which Cody Gakpo took handily.
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One becomes two. And now it’s all square again.
Quite what Fofana was thinking about is hard to guess.
Tsimikas’ corner didn’t appear to have too much threat even as van Dijk tried to muscle in on it but Fofana’s right hand was above his head, the ball struck it, and it had to be a penalty.
Less than three minutes after going in front, and Chelsea have thrown that away, Gakpo scoring his 11th Carabao Cup goal in his four seasons at Anfield and his seventh in as many in the tournament on home soil.
45. Chelsea are forced to make an early sub as Lacroix has to come off limping what looks like could be his hamstring.
In comes in Colwill to replace him.
43. Gakpo steps up and finishes from the spot!
This game has all of a sudden come alive!
Gakpo places the ball brilliantly into the bottom left corner and sends Penders the wrong way.
42. Penalty Liverpool!
Just two minutes later from Chelsea’s penalty, Liverpool now has one!
Corner comes in from Liverpool and Fofana’s hand is in an unnatural position as the ball hits him straight on the hand.
Again, no debates about that one.
40. It looked like there was a little bit of debate as to who was to take the penalty.
With Henderson taking the ball, but it was Rogers who stepped up and sent the Liverpool keeper the wrong way.
38. Penalty Chelsea!
Caicedo makes a good run into the box as he gets tripped up on his trailing leg by Gravenberch.
A penalty all day.
37. It’s been all Chelsea these past few minutes.
Neto gets down the byline well and tries to play it across to Welbeck, but Van Dijk intercepts.
34. It’s all about the killer ball for Chelsea.
They’re playing it really well when they have the ball, but it’s just that final cutting edge they’re missing.
31. Some very poor communication at the back from Chelsea leads to another corner.
Gusto gets his pass all wrong, and neither Fofana nor Pender could recover.
Even with Chelsea not exactly being great at defending set pieces, the corners are not threatening whatsoever from Liverpool.
Got to be honest. This is pretty awful.
Half an hour in and you’d see more action on a Saga cruise.
Just one, nominal shot – and Caicedo’s mis-hit effort was marginally closer to the corner flag that the goalposts.
Other than that, desperate fare. Not even the Sky commentators will be able to give this the big sell.
28. Liverpool corner comes in, but again it’s cleared well.
Chelsea have certainly had the more threatening chances, but it’s not exactly a game so far where either keeper has been called into action much.
23. More Chelsea chances.
Again, Chelsea look to break quickly as Welbeck makes a run in behind Van Dijk.
Liverpool did well to clear it after the pass was too strong.
Morgan Rogers then gets in behind, and Araujo shrugs him off the ball.
Rogers looks for a potential penalty shout, but the ref waves it off.
Sunderland have scored three against Brentford to put themselves in a commanding position before half-time.
Eddie Nketiah has put Crystal Palace ahead at Fulham, while Man City are still level.
20. The first booking of the match goes to Liverpool’s McConnell for stopping Chelsea’s counterattack.
The young man loses the ball and intentionally handballs it away from Rogers.
Hardly a thriller so far.
Indeed, there hasn’t been a shot at either end – and little sign that one might be coming.
Virgil van Dijk might have been somewhat surprised to be asked to play in such an early round of the competition but he has been imposing at the back for the home side.
The home fans are trying to rouse their side and letting the officials know when they are unimpressed by a few decisions.
Yet it’s not exactly one to get the pulses racing. At all.
15. Van Dijk plays a nice switch ball over to Tsimikas who brings it down well.
He whips a good ball into the area and chelsea have to clear it for a corner.
Corner comes in, but Gusto is fouled in the box.
12. Chelsea are being much more cutthroat with the ball, and they’re looking to get behind, with Henderson almost playing the killer ball multiple times.
This has certainly been quite cagey, but Chelsea fans will be satisfied so far with how their team responded from the weekend.
It didn’t take long, and Man City are back level.
Mateo Kovacic has struck the equaliser against Brighton following Malick Yalcouye’s opener.
9. Liverpool are being quite slow with their build-up and haven’t tested Penders in goal as of yet.
They’ll need to be much more direct if they’re to get any real chances at goal.
6. Ngumoha gets his first run on that left wing and is fouled in a dangerous area by Neto.
Tsimikas plays it in, but Chelsea clear it well.
Liverpool retain possesion but there’s no follow-up chance.
4. Some nice build up play from the visitors.
Their first real look in at some possesion and they pass it round well.
a good bit of link up play from Neto and Henderson as the portuguese winger tries to punch the ball into Welbeck but he’s unable to control it properly.