Chelsea and Liverpool were forced to share points on the night after an exciting 1-1 draw at Anfield, that saw two stunning goals and some surprise inclusions and exclusions by both managers in their starting lineups.
After a goalless, but tense first half, Mohamed Salah drew first blood with Liverpool with a superb run and goal in the second half. That was enough to get Anfield on it’s feet, but the Reds seemed to stop playing after taking the lead and Chelsea started building up more pressure.
Conte’s substitutions eventually did the trick and then Willian came on the 83rd mintue as Chelsea tried to take the game to the hosts. A mere two minutes later, a stunning chip, which we later find out was completely intentional, caught Simon Mignolet offguard as the Blues brought themselves level.
As things stand, Chelsea are in third place with 26 points to their name while Liverpool are fifth with 23 points, a point behind fourth placed Tottenham Hotspur.
The 25-year-old opened the scoring against his former club in the 65th minute. It was his 15th goal in a mere 20 appearances for his new club.
Mo Salah refuses to celebrate his goal out of respect for the victims of the Sinai mosque attack yesterday ❤️?? pic.twitter.com/zsIqo1Fgtp
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 25, 2017
Not a fan of not celebrating against former clubs after scoring but suspect Salah could be showing respect for his fellow Egyptians who lost their lives yesterday.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) November 25, 2017
Chelsea fans thoughts Salah didn’t celebrate because he played a few games for them. It was actually for the 300 people that died in a bomb blast in a Mosque in Egypt.
— Guardiolista (@BlueCitizen007) November 25, 2017
Mohamed Salah: Rejected by Chelsea – Scored against them.
Kevin De Bruyne: Rejected by Chelsea – Scored against them. pic.twitter.com/tOv4eCtvHK
— GeniusFootball (@GeniusFootball) November 26, 2017
Then there were the subsequent comparisons to Chelsea’s very own Eden Hazard
Hazard few levels above anyone in the league but lads like FancyFirmino & SwiftSane disrespect him every week by comparing him with Salah & De Bruyne etc. Truly disgusting.
— Avirup (@CentralWinger_) November 25, 2017
Seemed appropriate, at the end, to see Hazard and Salah swap shirts. This game was a battle of their talents. The rest of the 22 not quite meeting those standards.
— Dan Levene (@danlevene) November 25, 2017
The Belgian, too was having a superb game himself
Sometimes a player turns up at Anfield and you think: Wow. Eden Hazard is one of the best opponents we’ve faced in the Premier League era. Pure talent. Privileged seeing him and Salah on the same field. pic.twitter.com/rO7IL54Hat
— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) November 25, 2017
Hazard Vs our midfield pic.twitter.com/u8qLDYu39z
— LFC 92 (@LFC92) November 25, 2017
I think Eden Hazard is one of the top three players on the planet right now and I’m not really fussed whether you agree with me or not.
— Jamie Wilkinson (@parkedthebus) November 25, 2017
Hazard is the best in the Prem. Comfortably. Argue with your landlord.
— Títílayọ (@t_chels19x) November 25, 2017
Hazard is big big contender for being the best dribbler in PL history. Some of the spaces he gets himself out is borderline insanity for anyone not named Messi.
— Sim (@SJftbl) November 25, 2017
Hazard does with 140 characters, What KDB does with 280 characters.
— Syddlēr (@Naitology) November 25, 2017
A surprise inclusion into the Chelsea starting XI was summer signing Danny Drinkwater, who started ahead of Cesc Fabregas, the latter was later brought on as Chelsea looked for an equalizer
Conte plays 5 at the back with Kante, Bakayoko and Drinkwater in front of them to get a point at Anfield. Why aren’t the journalists boiling? Oh yeah, it’s not Mourinho
— United ⭕️ (@Beckham_RF) November 25, 2017
Watching Kanté and Drinkwater play in midfield is making me teary with nostalgia.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) November 25, 2017
Only a matter of time before Drinkwater takes Bakayoko’s place
— Alli O.G (@Onflood_) November 25, 2017
I’d like to try a midfield 3 of Kante, Drinkwater and Fabregas.
Yes you lose the height of Bakayoko but sometimes he just looks lazy and slow and Drinkwater proved today that he is quick, we all know he can tackle and he’s 100% a better passer than Bakayoko is!— Laurenz Vescoli (@Laus1507) November 25, 2017
Drinkwater is actually better than bakayoko if we want to be sincere…. He’s more balanced, can tackle and pass
— 0007 (@Eben_Ik) November 25, 2017
What we’ve learned from this game:
•Eden Hazard lives on a different planet and continues to carry Chelsea
• Bakayoko is too clumsy and needs to improve big time
• Our wingbacks are not good enough
•Fabregas is key
•Azpilicueta deserves to be Captain.#CFC— Mod (@HazardChaos) November 25, 2017
Lessons to be learned and positives to be taken. Cesc Fabregas HAS to be starting, blatant lack of creativity in the midfield without him. Cesar Azpilicueta was absolutely phenomenal, again. We move forwards…
— Jamie Wilkinson (@parkedthebus) November 25, 2017
Watch the game and you see Fabregas.
Watch Fabregas and you see the game.— OleOleOle (@BrockSolidBlue) November 25, 2017
Sadio Mane’s exclusion from the starting XI raised some eyebrowns as well,
If I’m Sadio Mane I’m out of Liverpool ASAP, people already forgetting he’s their best player, the disrespect is REAL. #LFC #LIVCHE #CFC
— Mo Leicester (@leicester_mo) November 25, 2017
Jürgen Klopp really left Sadio Mané on bench. I understand Roberto Firmino being benched even though I don’t agree with it. But Mané? No!
— Bello El-Rufai (@B_ELRUFAI) November 25, 2017
We aren’t the only ones not happy with Klopp. Sadio Mane is also mad… pic.twitter.com/8ZEskiFBJT
— D (@ffsStudge) November 25, 2017
Sadio Mane didn’t look happy at the end with Klopp there like. Probably coming on for 2 minutes. Need early changes #LFC
— Andrew Gallagher (@AndrewG81) November 25, 2017
sadio mané deserves to be pissed at klopp what do you expect him to do with 5 minutes left
— Mbappé Stan After Messi Retires (@JMY39) November 25, 2017
Sadio Mane tonight : pic.twitter.com/n7jU7BXu03
— Bobby GRAMH (@GRAMHLFC) November 25, 2017
Ultimately, it was Willian who got the much needed equaliser for the Blues. A huge shot in the arm for his (and his supporters’ confidence) given the difficult season he has been having.
*Willians a donkey”
“Willian is finished”
“Willian isn’t good enough for Chelsea anymore”Whatever you think of Willian, he saved Chelsea today..
— . (@OfficialCheIs) November 25, 2017
After the week Willian’s had, hope his haters on here lock themselves in a dark room tonight and have a quiet word with themselves.
— Mark Worrall (@gate17marco) November 25, 2017
Willian scores the equaliser for all run towards him to celebrate bar Morata who goes & grabs the ball for re-start.
Wonder where he got that mentality from?
— Ryan. (@Rygista) November 25, 2017
3 players heavily linked with Man Utd have stepped up their game a lot as January gets closer: Willian, Ozil and Griezmann. ?
It’s like a crazy audition now.
— Man Utd Channel (@ManUtdChannel) November 25, 2017