Report By Dr Talal
osman Chelsea halted their six-game losing run in the Premier League by battling to a 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield. Arne Slot's team, who would have all but secured UEFA Champions League football with a win, were without Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike but still took the lead through Ryan Gravenberch's sixth-minute stunner. That goal left Chelsea facing a seventh straight league defeat, which would have equalled the worst streak in their history, but Calum McFarlane's team levelled in the 35th minute as Enzo Fernandez's deep free-kick flew all the way in. Cole Palmer and Curtis Jones had goals disallowed for offside at either end in the second half, while Liverpool also hit the woodwork twice. Liverpool need a maximum of three points to guarantee a top-five finish, while Chelsea remain ninth on 49 points, three points adrift of the top six. How the match unfolded The Reds’ injury issues granted Ngumoha a chance to start, and he was involved in their early breakthrough. The 17-year-old found Gravenberch on the edge of the box, and the midfielder curled a fierce effort beyond Filip Jorgensen. Virgil van Dijk then steered over from a glorious position before Chelsea grew into the ascendency, with Marc Cucurella's drive parried by Giorgi Mamardashvili. Their improvement was rewarded when Fernandez's free-kick travelled all the way through the area and bounced in off a post, and only a firm stop from Mamardashvili denied the Argentinian a second before half-time. Chelsea thought they were in front five minutes into the second period, but Palmer's close-range finish was ruled out for Cucurella drifting offside in the build-up. Liverpool had a goal of their own chalked off soon afterwards, with Cody Gakpo going too early before his header across the area was turned in by Jones. Dominik Szoboszlai was thwarted by a flying Jorgensen save before the Hungarian thumped a long-range shot against a post and Van Dijk's header rattled the crossbar in Liverpool's last real chance
