Liverpool failed to make any significant progress towards Champions League qualification this afternoon as they only drew 1-1 with struggling Chelsea at Anfield.
The Reds secured an early lead thanks to a stunning strike from midfielder Ryan Gravenbirch, but that lead lasted only 29 minutes of the first half on Merseyside.
Enzo Fernandes’ low and dangerous free-kick went past everyone in the 18-yard box and landed in the bottom corner, with no team able to take the lead.
There is no doubt that pressure will once again be on the shoulders of manager Arne Slott, who has won just two of his last five games in all competitions.
In this afternoon’s stalemate, he will once again be making big demands regarding the continued selection of several senior players for whom they have been unable to supply.
Liverpool did poorly against Chelsea
Following winger Mohamed Salah’s recent injury, full-back Jeremy Frimpong was tasked with filling in as Liverpool’s right-winger at Anfield this afternoon.
However, the Dutchman ultimately struggled to feed the ball into the attacking area, as evidenced by just one successful dribble and one missed cross.
The 25-year-old was also extremely wasteful with the ball inside the forward area, subsequently losing the ball 14 times, the second-most of all players on the pitch.
Frimpong wasn’t the only one struggling to live up to expectations against the Blues, with Ibrahima Konate also looking unsteady in the center of the backline once again.
The Frenchman failed to win any tackles at Anfield and despite winning two aerial duels, he only headed clear once.
Other statistics, including two ground wins and one foul committed, further evidenced his struggles against the West London side earlier this afternoon.
Liverpool star players need to be sacked after Chelsea
Following last season’s Premier League win, coupled with a huge £450m outlay, Slott was under huge pressure to take the club forward.
After 36 games in the 2025/26 season, the Reds currently sit 17 points behind leaders Arsenal, underscoring their significant drop since this time last season.
The Dutchman’s future is sure to be another topic of conversation as the season draws to a close, but the question marks surrounding transfer business are another.
There is no doubt that many players have underperformed on Merseyside this season, but none more so than Kodi Gakpo. He now appears to be a vestige of his former self.
The Dutch winger played a key role in last season’s title-winning side, as evidenced by his impressive 24 goals and assists in all competitions.
However, he has struggled to score goals this season, scoring only seven times out of 34 appearances in the top league, despite playing as a central striker.
The 27-year-old played the aforementioned role again this afternoon against Chelsea, but endured a forgettable performance, just like his previous performances.
Gakpo recorded only 12 touches in his 77-minute performance, three times fewer than goalkeeper Giorgi Mamadashvili’s 37.
He also managed just five passes in the draw at Anfield, but failed to register a single shot on goal, highlighting his struggles in the final third.
Other tallies such as no successful dribbles and 100% aerial failures only reaffirm his woes that have led to doubts about his future at the club.
Liverpool vs Chelsea player ratings | |
|---|---|
player | evaluation |
Giorgi Mamadashvili | 7/10 |
curtis jones | 6/10 |
Ibrahima Konate | 5/10 |
virgil van dijk | 7/10 |
Milos Kerkes | 6/10 |
ryan graven birch | 7/10 |
alexis mac allister | 7/10 |
Jeremy Frimpong | 5/10 |
Dominik Szoboszlai | 6/10 |
Ngumoha River | 7/10 |
cody steele | 4/10 |
After such performances, Slott must have had no choice but to remove Rio Ngmoha from his regular role and remove the attacker from the starting XI.
It’s clear he doesn’t have the skill set to play as a center forward, so the forward could struggle to become a regular starter in the 2026/27 season.
The club as a whole needs to refresh itself come summer, and it would be no surprise if Gakpo moves to raise the necessary transfer funds.
The next Luis Diaz in the slot: Liverpool hold contract talks with £73m England star
Liverpool need to sign a winger this summer to pair up with Kodi Gakpo for the left wing position.
