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Chelsea boss masterminds win that puts Klopp top of the tree
WHEREVER he was last night, Jurgen Klopp’s pulse surely quickened when the final whistle went at Stamford Bridge.
For this was the moment the Kop boss has been waiting for since the first ball of the season was kicked.
Liverpool did their bit yesterday with a thumping win at Bournemouth to hit top spot – but they can’t win the title all on their own.
They need help to stop Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City juggernaut. And in the west London drizzle they got it as Chelsea gave Liverpool the best early Christmas present possible – hope.
Tantalising
After last season’s recordbreaking romp to the title the Premier League didn’t really believe Guardiola when he kept repeating his mantra that this time it’s no foregone conclusion despite more tantalising football from his team. But they do now.
For the first time since Manchester United won at the Etihad to spoil City’s planned title party last April, City were beaten in the league.
There were other firsts too. At times City looked short on i deas, while f or once Guardiola looked rattled, bemused and impotent to prevent defeat. Guardiola often has very little to do during games, all his work coming in the preparation of a winning plan that rarely goes wrong.
But as the game slipped away Guardiola actually looked agitated, constantly turning to assistant Mikel Arteta for help with solutions. The answer wasn’t hard to uncover. The Spaniard praised his stars for sticking to their beliefs and never giving up.
But without Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne, City lacked the big star to make the difference.
This wasn’t a mugging – but a professional smash and grab job by a Chelsea team who ruthlessly took the game’s few chances.
Both sides played without a recognised centre-forward and it worked better for Chelsea with Eden Hazard able t o make a decisive contribution.
City were the better team in the first half, pressing high and hard, but Chelsea scored with their first proper chance right on half time as N’golo Kante
walloped a thumping drive past Ederson from Hazard’s clever pass.
That was only the second time this season City have reached half-time behind – and they couldn’t recover the situation.
Costly
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Unusually f or t he champions, they offered no great threat in f r ont of goal.
Guardiola doesn’t often mess up but maybe his decision to go without a central striker proved a costly mistake with Gabriel Jesus left on the bench.
The Brazilian isn’t in the best form but he’d have at least provided a focal point.
Having seen Kante fire Chelsea ahead Guardiola hooked Leroy Sane and put Jesus on to spark a goal.
By then Chelsea sensed they could produce a spectacular recovery from their “blackout” against Wolves.
And their instinct was right as David Luiz sealed victory, out- jumping Fernandinho and John Stones to head home Hazard’s 78th minute corner.
Rescue
City huffed and puffed to try to rescue the game but Chelsea defended with a diligence and determination that hugely pleased boss Maurizio Sarri.
At this time of year it’s always the numbers game in football – 17 days until Christmas, 24 days to the opening of the transfer window, you get the drift.
But the key date for the Premier League now comes in 26 days. For that’s when the title race could effectively be blown wide open.
That’s the day Liverpool go to the Etihad and if they manage to win then City’s dream of back to back titles will be more than in the balance.