A regular weekday evening pleasantly laced with a casual frosty chill and an atmosphere tingling with a tinge of anticipation.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s excitement in the air, the kind you\u2019d expect associated with an English FA Cup fifth round toss up between two feisty arch rivals over the decades, one of whom also happens to be the Premier League champions-elect sitting at the top of the table with a clear 22 points lead and with only four more wins needed to seal their supremacy for the season.<\/p>\n
One blurb\u2013 the team have suddenly been of late undergoing a few glitches and the wobbles are beginning to be quite apparent. Which was why anxious eyes were watching, eager to see how the match would unfold.<\/p>\n
The game kicked off to a promising start, with both teams cranking up the action from the first minute. The thrills and spills were a-flurry. Yet by the time it had reached its end, those who were scornful were sneering gleefully.<\/p>\n
Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool mastermind second perhaps only to Pep Guardiola this season, had seen it fit to accord due respect to the FA Cup by fielding one of his stronger lineups but the reward was not one he had expected or hoped for.<\/p>\n
Reds were unceremoniously booted out of the FA Cup by a relatively young Chelsea team that gave their all with tenacity, ferocity, aggression and finely-meshed skills in a 2-0 rout that could easily have been a much greater margin of victory.<\/p>\n
With this defeat, Liverpool are now beginning to wobble in unfamiliar territory with this being their third loss in four games across all competitions. Klopp\u2019s side saw their FA Cup and treble hopes clinically dismantled by an impressive Frank Lampard\u2019s Chelsea. The Red Machine has been derailed off its tracks, hopefully a temporary setback that doesn\u2019t bode more dire consequences for the Merseyside gents.<\/p>\n
A discordant note of crisis is definitely in the air for Liverpool now. Their game was at best patchy with some chances that were clearly not seized. The lack of precision in front of the goalmouth was pitiful. The concentration was evidently sorely lacking and their defense was split open with wide spaces for the opposition to slip through with alarming ease, particularly by 18-years-old Billy Gilmour leading in midfield and displaying with seeming ease the magnificent skills that have put him on the radar of Europe\u2019s leading clubs. Only 5ft 5in and slender in build, Gilmour disarmed the opposition\u2019s defense with a devil-may-care nonchalance as he effortlessly weaved his way through Klopp\u2019s plodding defenders to signal his arrival as one of the hottest new playmakers to watch and marvel at. This Scottish lad from Cobham was truly a welcome sight for sore eyes.<\/p>\n
Chelsea\u2019s game plan was clearly derivative of the match proceedings that resulted in Liverpool\u2019s stunning loss to Watford. The Blues came to Stamford Bridge intent from the get-go on packing the central midfield, pressing hard on the flanks and closing down the full-backs.\u00a0 They boldly took their chances and magnificently won wide. Never for a moment did they stray from the plan.<\/p>\n
How much will the sting of this defeat hurt a club that holds no pride by defining itself in FA Cup wins, as Klopp himself had demonstrated with his stand at the first leg of the tie at Shrewsbury? The two wins they\u2019ve had in the last 28 years clearly attest to that.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more pertinent, for all the rivals, is sensing that there\u2019s finally some traces of vulnerability that is possibly endemic in the Liverpool defense. One that is systemic that could be a well-hidden Achilles heel that\u2019s finally showing itself as the limping of late has begun to reveal.<\/p>\n
Liverpool have now for the first time since January 2019 conceded back-to-back games with this being the latest derailment in a string of totally lacklustre performances since they returned from the Premier League winter break. The wobble, which should be of significance and due concern particularly to Liverpool despite Klopp\u2019s saying otherwise, is probably coming a tad late to effectively derail their Premier League Cup title plans that are still locked on track.<\/p>\n
The real blip is that their Champions League title defence is now looking a bit bleak, trailing Atletico Madrid 1-0 ahead of the home leg of their last-16 tie. The Spanish conquistadors would surely have been perusing the Reds\u2019 loss to the Blues with more than just casual interest.<\/p>\n
That aside, this coming Sunday\u2019s afternoon clash with Bournemouth would also be one watched with great interest to see if the League favourites are able to get back firmly on track.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"