Liverpool put brakes on Blues
Saturday, 20 Jan 2007 20:09
Rafael Benitez avenged the 1-0 reverse suffered earlier this year
Liverpool left Chelsea's title aspirations severely dented with a 2-0 win at Anfield over a lacklustre Blues side.
Czech stopper Petr Cech was back in goal for the champions for the first time since fracturing his skull, but it proved an unhappy return as he was beaten twice in the game's opening 20 minutes.
The make-shift central defensive partnership of Michael Essien and Paulo Ferreira was shown up inside four minutes as Dirk Kuyt forced his way through the middle to score.
Peter Crouch rose unchallenged to flick on a long ball forward from Jamie Carragher and the back-pedalling Chelsea defenders were caught off balance as his Dutch strike partner cut inside and lashed the ball home.
John Arne Riise had a fantastic opportunity to double the advantage just a minute later, but his weaker right foot failed to make a clean connection after being picked out by a superb pass from Xabi Alonso.
But as their dominance continued the hosts soon delivered the second goal as Jermaine Pennant opened his account for the club in exquisite fashion.
When Essien's clearing header fell to the former Birmingham winger 30 yards out there seemed little danger, but after taking the ball down with his chest he sent a pinpoint shot arcing over Cech and in off the underside of the bar.
From that point on Chelsea never looked likely to conjure a comeback as their fighting spirit seemed sidelined along with injured skipper John Terry.
Instead it was Liverpool who seemed more likely to score again with Crouch putting a header straight into Cech's grateful hands when he should have done better just after the hour.
The rangy England man could have made amends soon after when a thunderous long-range effort from Riise looped up invitingly off the bar.
But with Cech still recovering his feet Crouch's header floated tamely over the top.
The final minute saw Kuyt do something similar after being played in by a delightfully-disguised flick from Steven Gerrard, but Liverpool's late profligacy never looked like being punished as Chelsea surrendered meekly to their fate.