Chelsea kept their hopes of finishing in an European spot alive after recording a 1-1 draw against Liverpool in Saturday’s Premier League early kickoff clash.
The Blues had seen their Champions League hopes dashed following a poor run of form and had dropped below the likes of Brighton and Bournemouth on the standings.
The West London side had lost six games in a row in the Premier League and failed to score in the first five, equalling a 114-year record with the poor run.
Meanwhile, Joao Pedro’s strike in their 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest was the first time Chelsea had scored in a league game since the Brazilian rounded up scoring in a 4-1 win over Aston Villa in early March.
Liverpool, on the other hand, were coming to the game on the back of a 3-2 defeat to Manchester United and needed a win to seal a top five spot.
Things started well for Arne Slot’s men, who found the net inside six minutes when teenage sensation Rio Ngumoha found Ryan Gravenberch, who curled home a spectacular opener.
Virgil Van Dijk then missed a good chance to double the lead, before Chelsea started to grow into the game and got their deserved equalizer.
Enzo Fernandez free kick evaded everyone including Wesley Fofana and snuck into the bottom corner, as both sides went into the break with a 1-1 scoreline.
Cole Palmer thought he had broken his goal drought in the second half, but the goal was ruled out for offside against Marc Cucurella, while Liverpool also had a goal by Curtis Jones ruled out later in the half as well.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil Van Dijk also had attempts crash off the crossbar, while Joao Pedro had a penalty call waved off after a VAR check.
Chelsea remain in ninth place on the standings with 49 points, four behind seventh place Brighton with only two games to go.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
