Gravenberch's dream start wasted as Chelsea's five-game nightmare continues

Chelsea's discipline was genuinely atrocious. Four yellow cards by the 89th minute tells you everything about a team struggling under pressure. Hato, McFarlane, Fernandez, and Caicedo all picked up bookings as Enzo Maresca's side retreated into themselves, absorbing wave after wave of Liverpool pressure. They got their equaliser and then essentially shut up shop. It wasn't pretty football, but it was effective enough. Sanchez made the same number of saves as Kelleher, despite facing considerably more threat. The goalkeeper kept Chelsea in it when they probably didn't deserve to be.

Gravenberch took a gorgeous pass from Ngumoha and lashed it past Sanchez with the kind of composure that suggested a long afternoon ahead for Chelsea. The ball was in the net before most fans had settled into their seats. Liverpool looked sharp, incisive, and utterly in control. Then Chelsea did what Chelsea have been doing a lot lately: they refused to die. By the 35th minute, Fernandez had levelled things up, and suddenly the narrative shifted.

The statistics tell a story Liverpool will find frustrating. They had 49 per cent possession against a Chelsea side that sat deeper, yet still managed more shots on goal and more corners. Expected goals had them at 0.51 to Chelsea's 0.47, which reflects the balance of the match perfectly. Neither side truly dominated. Neither side truly deserved to win. But Liverpool will feel they let this one slip. They started brilliantly, imposed themselves early, and then allowed Chelsea to grow into the contest. That's unforgivable against a team in freefall.

Because make no mistake, Chelsea are in freefall. This is their fifth consecutive match without a win. They've gone from title contenders to looking lost and desperate. The gap between them and Liverpool is now 10 points, and on this evidence, it feels wider still. Pawson refereed fairly enough, though the explosion of yellow cards in the second half suggested both sides were on edge. Liverpool will rue not pressing their advantage when they had it. Chelsea will take a point from a team that should have buried them.