Tactical Analysis | How Chelsea lost the game in the first 20 minutes against Liverpool

How they started

Liverpool XI (4-3-3):Mignolet (GK); Clyne, Matip, Lovren, Milner; Lallana, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Mane, Sturridge, Coutinho

Chelsea's 'pressing' concerns

One thing you expect from an Antonio Conte side is high work rate, but strangely that was missing in the first half of the match. The home side sat deep in their own half and invited pressure onto themselves as Liverpool moved the ball around. There was no urgency in Chelsea's play, and they did not put Liverpool under any pressure when they had the ball. Oscar was seen jogging around, Nemanja Matic seemed disinterested, while Kante looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Although Chelsea started in a 4-2-3-1 formation, it changed to a 4-5-1 formation without the ball. Oscar dropped back to make it into a 5-man midfield. However, there was so much space between the midfield and Diego Costa that the striker hardly saw the ball. He had just 2 touches inside the box in the first half.

The lack of pressing from Chelsea allowed Liverpool to dictate the play at the center of the park as they raced to a 0-2 lead within 36 minutes of the game. The visitor's second goal of the match arrived from a crisp strike from Jordan Henderson, but once again, the fact that he was allowed so much time on the ball at the edge of the box was partially responsible for it. Matic made an attempt, albeit halfhearted, to close him down as he unleashed the dipping shot, but it was too little too late.

Gary Cahill has a shocker

When Philippe Coutinho was preparing to deliver his free-kick in the 17th minute, almost 5 Chelsea players were looking away from the ball. It was hard to decipher whether the Blues were deploying a zonal marking system or a man to man marking system - such was their shambolic positioning. Meanwhile, Cahill was involved in a physical battle with Joel Matip at the far post, and as the defender dropped out, he followed him, leaving the far post completely exposed. Almost four Liverpool players were left unmarked when Coutinho's delivery reached the box, and it was Dejan Lovren who applied the finishing touch to score his first Liverpool goal.

Kante and Matic finally arrive in the second half

Chelsea came out in the second half with a lot more purpose and enthusiasm. They began to push higher up the pitch, which allowed Kante and Matic to dictate the game at the middle of the park. Kante sat in front of the defence while Matic ventured forward from time to time, and eventually, it was one of those runs from the Serbian which led to Chelsea's only goal of the match.

This led to Liverpool shifting their attention to their left wing, and this left more space on the right for Chelsea to expose, which Matic did in the 61st minute. Henderson and Lallana were also at fault, as they failed to track Matic's run after the midfield dribbled past them initially before spreading the ball wide and heading into the box to receive the return pass.

Eden Hazard and the rest of the midfield moved much closer to Costa in the second half, and the Belgian was even playing as a second striker at times. With more bodies around him, Costa's influence in the game increased significantly as well.

Chelsea failed to secure the second goal, and in hindsight, it was their strange tactics in the first 20 minutes of the match to sit back and wait for things to happen that cost Chelsea all the three points.