A draw between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield left both sides assessing where they stand in the Champions League race. Ryan Gravenberch’s sixth-minute stunner put Liverpool ahead early, but Chelsea responded through Enzo Fernández’s drifting free kick that evaded everybody and beat Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Liverpool were missing key personnel: Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitiké were unavailable. In their absence Rio Ngumoha emerged as the clear creative focal point. He had 19 touches in the first half, completed three of four dribbles and repeatedly troubled Malo Gusto. Ngumoha’s decision to come inside and his weighted pass into space allowed Gravenberch to curl the early strike into the top corner. His withdrawal in the 66th minute prompted boos from the crowd, reflecting confusion at the substitution.

Dominik Szoboszlai’s thunderous free-kick struck the wall before play worked out to Ngumoha, whose pass created Gravenberch’s opportunity. Despite the positive moments, Liverpool were warned by the result. The draw is not a disaster, but the Reds could drop to fifth and be only three points clear of sixth if Aston Villa and Bournemouth secure positive results.

For Chelsea a draw was a useful outcome after six successive Premier League defeats prior to the trip to Merseyside. Enzo Fernández, whose recent absence included an internal two-game suspension, has returned in strong form. Operating higher and linking with Cole Palmer, Fernández exploited spaces left by Ibrahima Konaté and Curtis Jones’s lack of communication and helped shift momentum during periods of the first half.

Marc Cucurella, deployed on the left wing by stand-in manager Calum McFarlane, provided energy and combinations with Fernández and João Pedro. He was almost decisive early in the second half but a VAR offside call ruled out the move when Moisés Caicedo played him through.

Jeremie Frimpong continues to struggle for rhythm after injuries, attempting just two dribbles and completing none, with one cross, one defensive contribution and one tackle recorded by FotMob. Cody Gakpo offered little up front, with 77 minutes, 12 touches and eight passes and no shot on Filip Jörgensen’s goal. Levi Colwill, making his first Premier League start of the season after a torn ACL, enjoyed an easier afternoon than many expected.

Chelsea left Anfield with a 1-1 draw after recovering from an early deficit but will rue a missed chance to claim all three points. Enzo Fernández’s free-kick cross sneaked inside the bottom corner for the equaliser, a strike described in the match as fortunate but earned by Chelsea’s growing control of the first half. Cole Palmer had what might have been a winner shortly after the restart, only for the effort to be ruled out by a narrow offside.

The result offered little clarity for either side’s Champions League ambitions. Chelsea’s bid is not quite over, and Liverpool’s remains unsealed.

The Blues’ recurring vulnerability to early goals remains a clear problem. After shipping the first of three Nottingham Forest goals after 83 seconds on Monday afternoon, João Pedro lamented a common theme for Chelsea. “This is the Premier League,” he fretted, “if you concede very early, it’s difficult to come back. Everyone needs to look at themselves, me included, to find a way to do better. I feel sorry for the fans.” That pattern continued at Anfield when Ryan Gravenberch needed six minutes to bend the ball beyond Filip Jörgensen following a second-phase set piece. It was the ninth goal Chelsea have conceded in the opening 10 minutes of Premier League matches this season, a tally only surpassed by relegated and manager-less Burnley.

Chelsea responded well after the early setback and forced Liverpool into a more cautious shape, allowing the visitors to exert authority on the match. Fernández’s equaliser could have proved decisive had the opening moments not again worked against Chelsea.

Player ratings
GK: Filip Jörgensen — 6.6. Might have reached Gravenberch’s strike but produced several important saves thereafter.
RB: Malo Gusto — 6.7. A lively contest with Rio Ngumoha, trading small victories.
CB: Wesley Fofana — 6.8. Limited impact; a missed aerial challenge at the goal from Fernández’s cross was telling.
CB: Levi Colwill — 7.3. First Premier League start of the season following a torn ACL; a solid return despite expected rust.
LB: Jorrel Hato — 7.2. Largely untroubled by Jeremie Frimpong.
CM: Enzo Fernández — 7.0. Roamed freely across midfield and found the equaliser.
CM: Moisés Caicedo — 7.8. Defensive linchpin, often operating as a fifth defender and covering all thirds.
CM: Andrey Santos — 6.4. Frequently a stride behind his marker.
RW: Cole Palmer — 6.6. Threatened but lacked decisive end product.
ST: João Pedro — 6.9. Created space and openings, the sharpest of Chelsea’s attackers.
LW: Marc Cucurella — 6.6. Adapted well when pushed higher amid an injury crisis.
SUB: Reece James (63’ for Santos) — 7.1. Failed to make a lasting imprint.

Unused subs: Gaga Slonina, Josh Acheampong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, Mathis Eboué, Roméo Lavia, Liam Delap, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen.

Match statistics
Possession: Liverpool 48% | Chelsea 52%
Expected Goals (xG): Liverpool 0.51 | Chelsea 0.47
Total Shots: Liverpool 8 | Chelsea 6
Shots on Target: Liverpool 3 | Chelsea 3
Big Chances: Liverpool 1 | Chelsea 1
Passing Accuracy: Liverpool 84% | Chelsea 86%
Fouls Committed: Liverpool 2 | Chelsea 4

Florian Wirtz was absent from Liverpool’s starting line-up against Chelsea after being left out with an illness on Saturday. The Germany international’s difficult debut season at the club suffered another setback when he was reported to be unavailable due to feeling unwell, a situation first revealed by The Athletic’s James Pearce. It was clarified by BBC Sport as a case of a stomach bug.

Wirtz had been substituted from last weekend’s damaging derby defeat to Manchester United, where he operated as a false nine alongside Dominik Szoboszlai. In that match Szoboszlai outshone his ephemeral teammate and Wirtz was described in press coverage as having been bullied out of the game. The chance to respond to that performance was removed when the playmaker missed Wednesday’s training session after feeling “a bit unwell,” as Arne Slot revealed during his prematch press conference. Slot later downplayed concerns by confirming Wirtz had returned to training.

Slot selected a 4-2-3-1 for the Chelsea match: Giorgi Mamardashvili; Curtis Jones, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Milos Kerkez; Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister; Jeremie Frimpong, Dominik Szoboszlai, Rio Ngumoha; Cody Gakpo.

Substitutes: Freddie Woodman (GK), Joe Gomez, Andy Robertson, Federico Chiesa, Trey Nyoni, Kieran Morrison, Mor Talla Ndiaye, Will Wright, Alexander Isak.

Wirtz’s absence coincided with a tactical change. Slot appeared to abandon the double false nine system used in the 3–2 reverse at Old Trafford, instead deploying Rio Ngumoha as a natural winger in place of the floating Wirtz role. That shift restored Szoboszlai to his preferred attacking midfield position, while Jeremie Frimpong retained the right-wing slot. Frimpong was moved into a more advanced role partly because Mohamed Salah remains absent; Salah only has three more chances to make another appearance for Liverpool before his pre-planned summer departure.