- Merseyside Derby ended without goals, with both Everton and Liverpool disappointing the fans.
- The US international, Christian Pulisic sparked Chelsea’s comeback in Birmingham against Aston Villa.
- Newcastle Demolished Sheffield United.
Dull Game at Goodison
Many were expecting to see fireworks this Sunday because Merseyside Derby always brings a lot of excitement. However, this match was below every expectation, with both teams being pale and without the usual motivation.
In the first half, we haven’t seen anything worth mentioning, apart from Richarlison’s shot, that was saved by Alisson. Liverpool did try to be more aggressive, but all of their attacks were not dangerous at all, because Toffees’ manager Carlo Ancelotti came up with ultra-defensive tactics.
The hosts waited for counter-attacks, and that could bring some results if it weren’t for Alisson, who stopped Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin. Jurgen Klopp mentioned following the game, saying that his team stayed undefeated here because of the Brazilian goalkeeper.
“We should not take him [Alisson] for granted,” said Klopp. “Absolutely outstanding. That’s what a world-class goalkeeper is – nothing to do for pretty much 90 minutes, then he’s there.”
His Reds are now five points away from the title, first in the previous 30 years, and it could be that the pressure did some damage in this event, as well as rust, after not playing a competitive match for a long time.
As for Everton, they still haven’t won against the local rival. The last win they recorded over the Reds was a decade ago.
Pulisic Ignites Chelsea
Aston Villa had a lead at the halftime but lost the game against Chelsea, 1-2. The Villains scored the goal in the first half through Hause, although they weren’t playing good. Chelsea dominated the field but were unable to be more direct upfront. However, all this changed when Frank Lampard introduced Christian Pulisic to the pitch.
The American immediately made an impact, and eventually scored a goal and set up one more. He would showcase all of his potentials, indicating that he increased his form rapidly when compared to the earlier part of the season.
“He will start games for us, of course, and I think he’s going to be a big player for us, not just in this run-in, but going forward,” Lampard spoke about his player. “He was hungry. I know that, and I felt for him, as I felt for the players with long-term injuries.”
This was a very important win for the Blues, who are keeping their UCL spot safe with these three points. On the other side, Aston Villa needs to start winning; otherwise, the relegation will be inevitable.
And finally, Newcastle smashed Sheffield United, 3-0, with the scorers Saint-Maximin, Ritchie, and Joelington. It was a totally unexpected result, but the main reason why it happened was Egan’s red card in the 50th minute. After that, Sheffield lost one of its best players and they simply couldn’t compete with the Magpies.
