Chelsea held 0-0 by Liverpool once more after Potter’s exit
IMAGE: Chelsea’s Joao Felix in motion with Liverpool’s Andrew Robertson and Jordan Henderson. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
Chelsea had been held to one more 0-0 draw by Liverpool on Tuesday of their first match since sacking coach Graham Potter with either side displaying the identical issues which have left them miles off the tempo on this season’s Premier League.
The goalless stalemate was the fourth in a row between the 2 groups – together with final season’s FA and League Cup finals each of which Liverpool received on penalties.
Big-spending Chelsea dominated a lot of the Stamford Bridge encounter in opposition to a much-changed Liverpool aspect, who appeared visibly low on confidence following their chastening 4-1 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday.
Yet Chelsea spurned one alternative after one other, repeating the sort of toothless show that ended up costing Potter his job at Stamford Bridge after solely 31 video games in cost.
Joao Felix and Mateo Kovacic went shut within the opening minutes adopted by possibilities that went untaken by Kai Havertz in one other toothless show for the Blues, who’ve scored solely 29 instances in 29 league video games.
Reece James, restored to his extra harmful function as a marauding proper wing-back by Chelsea’s interim head coach Bruno Saltor, and Havertz had the ball within the web both aspect of halftime, however each efforts had been dominated out.
Liverpool sought to make Chelsea pay for his or her profligacy on the finish of the primary half with their first moments of hazard, together with a rasping shot by Fabinho that Blues defender Wesley Fofana deflected extensive with a glanced header. Felix and Kovacic wasted additional possibilities for Chelsea within the second half.
The draw left Liverpool in eighth place within the league desk, seven factors behind Tottenham Hotspur within the fourth Champions League qualifying spot having performed a sport lower than Spurs. Chelsea stayed caught in eleventh place.
Chelsea followers had been at the least capable of see midfielder N’Golo Kante making his first begin for the Blues since struggling a hamstring harm in August. They will hope he can construct on his show when Chelsea meet Real Madrid within the Champions League quarter-finals subsequent week.
The look represented Kante’s third league residence sport beneath three completely different coaches in the identical season, having begun the marketing campaign beneath Thomas Tuchel and performed as an alternative on Saturday in opposition to Aston Villa in Potter’s swansong.
The French World Cup winner was given a standing ovation when he was substituted within the 69th minute.
Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp, presumably with an eye fixed on Sunday’s go to to Anfield by league leaders Arsenal, left a number of of his traditional starters on the bench together with Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
“Both groups performed final yr in two finals, two of the very best 0-0s I ever noticed,” Klopp instructed the BBC. “Today it was two groups low on confidence however actually combating. We’re superb with a degree, a variety of great things. We confirmed a variety of battle. We must hold going.”
Villa beat 10-man Leicester 2-1 with late Traore winner
IMAGE: Aston Villa’s Bertrand Traore celebrates scoring their second purpose. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Reuters
Aston Villa plunged Leicester City deeper into relegation hazard with a 2-1 away win within the Premier League on Tuesday after the house aspect performed the final 20 minutes with 10 males and had a stoppage-time penalty dominated out by VAR.
Substitute Bertrand Traore scored the 87th-minute winner on the King Power Stadium with a curled shot into the highest nook moments after he got here on in opposition to opponents who sacked supervisor Brendan Rodgers on the weekend.
It was his first league purpose since May 2021 and left Leicester nineteenth and two factors from security.
Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had already added to Leicester’s woes by being despatched off within the seventieth minute after gathering a second yellow card of the night for a late problem on Ashley Young.
Ollie Watkins had put Unai Emery’s Villa forward within the twenty fourth minute, the on-form ahead sidefooting into the underside left nook after being fed by way of by Emiliano Buendia.
A fast VAR examine for offside confirmed that the purpose, Watkins’s sixth successive away strike and in his a centesimal Premier League look, was good.
Harvey Barnes equalised 11 minutes later, a right-footed shot off the within of the put up, to elevate the stressed crowd.
Traore, who got here on as a part of a triple substitution within the eighty fifth minute, appeared to have put the sport out of Leicester’s attain however referee Graham Scott raised residence hopes once more when he awarded a 92nd-minute penalty.
He then overturned the choice, for a possible handball by Watkins, after replays on the pitchside monitor confirmed the participant was first fouled by Patson Daka.
Leicester, shock champions in 2015-16, haven’t received a sport in all competitions since Feb. 11 and have misplaced seven of their final eight.
Rodgers departed on Sunday, a day after a 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace, with Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell taking up as caretaker managers.
Aston Villa, who moved as much as seventh place, have now received 10 of their 16 Premier League video games since Spaniard Emery took over from the sacked Steven Gerrard in October with the aspect in seventeenth place.
Leicester’s subsequent match is at residence to relegation rivals Bournemouth on Saturday whereas Villa will host Nottingham Forest.
Leeds out of backside three after comeback win over Forest
IMAGE: Leeds United’s Marc Roca celebrates after the match. Photograph: Molly Darlington/Reuters
Leeds United got here from a purpose all the way down to beat fellow Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest 2-1 at a raucous Elland Road and transfer out of the relegation zone on Tuesday.
Forest, who started the sport in sixteenth place, began in assured vogue and Orel Mangala gave them the lead within the twelfth minute with a well-worked purpose.
But Leeds responded in excellent vogue and had been forward earlier than the top of a rip-roaring opening half.
Jack Harrison smashed in a rebound to deliver the hosts degree within the twentieth minute and in first-half stoppage time Luis Sinisterra beat Forest keeper Keylor Navas with a medical low shot after chopping in from the left.
Leeds continued to play on the entrance foot within the second half and deservedly took a vital victory that fired them up 5 locations within the congested decrease reaches of the desk.
They are in thirteenth place with 29 factors from 29 video games performed, two factors away from the relegation zone, whereas Forest’s worrying slide continues.
Steve Cooper’s aspect at the moment are winless in eight league video games and sit in seventeenth place with 27 factors, the identical as three different golf equipment, and solely out of the underside three by advantage of a greater purpose distinction than Bournemouth.
So congested is the underside half of the desk that solely seven factors separate backside membership Southampton from twelfth positioned Crystal Palace. Wins for any of the golf equipment battling to beat the drop are like gold mud with the image altering on a weekly foundation.
Leeds dropped into the underside three on the weekend after being hammered by leaders Arsenal and when Mangala gave Forest the lead with a exact end previous keeper Illan Meslier’s dive and simply contained in the put up, the vultures had been circling.
Crucially, the house followers raised the decibel degree and Leeds stormed again at a Forest aspect who may have gone forward even earlier when Emmanuel Dennis volleyed in opposition to the put up.
Harrison was a bundle of power all evening and he instigated the transfer down the proper that finally noticed Marc Roca’s highly effective drive blocked by Navas. He was then alert to slam the rebound into the web to boost the roof of the previous stadium.
Forest got here beneath a sustained onslaught with Patrick Bamford having a few alternatives.
Leeds then went in entrance as Colombian livewire Sinisterra bamboozled Forest’s proper again Neco Williams earlier than arrowing a low right-foot shot into the far nook.
Forest had been unable to construct any momentum within the second half and Leeds actually ought to have received by a wider margin.
“We knew this was an important sport for us. I’m pleased as a result of we work onerous for it. To get this three factors is huge for us,” match-winner Sinisterra stated.
