Enzo Fernandez’s free-kick ended Chelsea’s six-match losing Premier League run with a point at Liverpool as both sides had goals ruled out and the hosts hit the woodwork twice at Anfield.
Playmaker Fernandez’s free-kick from 35 yards out curled into the back of the net in the 35th minute as Chelsea recovered from falling behind to Ryan Gravenberch’s sixth-minute opener for their first point since March 4.
Ryan Gravenberch opens the scoring with an absolute screamer 🚀
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 9, 2026
📺 TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/CTiF8YD3ko
Gravenberch teed himself up from Rio Ngumoha’s pass and curled in from outside the box to briefly put Liverpool on course for a third successive home win with the Netherlands midfielder’s sixth goal in all competitions this season.
Cole Palmer’s strike for Chelsea’s and Cody Gakpo’s header for Liverpool were disallowed after the interval before Dominik Szoboszlai shot against a post and Virgil van Dijk headed against the crossbar.
Enzo Fernandez's free-kick goes all the way through and Chelsea are level 💥
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 9, 2026
📺 TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/VVZJMhgO4a
Table of Contents
Liverpool vs Chelsea analysis: Reds’ ropey defending
There was some conjecture over whether Wesley Fofana had applied a touch to Fernandez’s free-kick, but former Scotland striker Ally McCoist was in less doubt over the quality of Liverpool’s defending for Chelsea’s goal.
“Konate is probably slightly deeper than the rest of the defence,” McCoist told TNT Sports. “One thing you’ve got to say is that it’s really poor defensively.”
McCoist said Chelsea had exploited space between the centre and right-hand side of Liverpool’s defence for another Fernandez shortly afterwards, Giorgi Mamardashvili denying the Argentina international.
“[Fernandez gets] right in between the centre-back and right-back,” observed McCoist. “Curtis Jones has got to tuck in and be more aware.”
You can look back on live text updates from Liverpool vs Chelsea.
Virgil van Dijk outmuscles Moises Caicedo to rifle his header against the crossbar 😮💨
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 9, 2026
TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/UkeuFkuXJD
Liverpool team vs Chelsea
Mamardashvili made his comeback in goal in one of three Liverpool changes, Milos Kerkez and 17-year-old Ngumoha also coming in.
Alexander Isak returned from injury on the bench, where Freddie Woodman and Andy Robertson moved to. Florian Wirtz was ill.
Alisson Becker and Mohamed Salah are yet to resume training and Stefan Bajcetic, Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike, Wataru Endo and Giovanni Leoni have long-term injuries.
Liverpool starting XI: Giorgi Mamardashvili, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Milos Kerkez, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones, Cody Gakpo, Jeremie Frimpong, Ryan Gravenberch, Rio Ngumoha
Liverpool substitutes: Freddie Woodman, Joe Gomez, Alexander Isak, Federico Chiesa, Andy Robertson, Trey Nyoni, Kieran Morrison, Mor Talla Ndiaye, Callum Wright
Chelsea team vs Liverpool
Levi Colwill was back in the Chelsea starting line-up following a serious knee injury and fellow defender Reece James returned on the bench.
Centre-back Colwill was one of five new faces in the visitors’ line-up from their 3-1 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest on Monday, with Filip Jorgensen, Fofana, Jorrel Hato and Andrey Santos also coming in.
Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah and Romeo Lavia moved to the bench and Jesse Derry and Sanchez dropped out because of head injuries.
Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto were absent with knocks. Willian Estevao is out for the rest of the season and Jamie Gittens has a hamstring injury.
Chelsea starting XI: Filip Jorgensen, Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella, Jorrel Hato, Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos, Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro
Chelsea substitutes: Gabriel Slonina, Reece James, Josh Acheampong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, Romeo Lavia, Mathis Eboue, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, Liam Delap
What’s next? Liverpool, Chelsea fixtures
Fourth-placed Liverpool are seven points above sixth-placed Bournemouth before the afternoon matches on Saturday and head to Aston Villa on Friday (20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT).
Ninth-placed Chelsea are two points shy of seventh-placed Brentford and play Manchester City in the FA Cup on May 16 (15:00 BST / 10:00 ET / 07:00 PT).
Liverpool vs Chelsea stats
- Liverpool had lost their previous two Premier League games against Chelsea, which is as many as they had in their previous 20 (W8 D10)
- They avoided losing three in a row against the Blues, who last achieved the feat between December 2013 and November 2014
- With 11 Premier League defeats this season, Liverpool have suffered their most top-flight losses since the 2014/15 campaign under Brendan Rodgers, when they lost 12
- Not since 2009/10 (19) have they registered more losses than their 18 in all competitions this time around
- No Liverpool player has more goals and assists combined than Szoboszlai in all competitions this season (13 goals, 10 assists). The midfielder is the first Reds midfielder to have totalled at least 10 goals and 10 assists in a season since Steven Gerrard in 2013/14 (14 goals, 14 assists)
- Only once in Chelsea’s league history have they ever lost seven in a row, across November and December 1952
- Following their 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge in October, Chelsea had been looking to complete the league double over Liverpool for the first time since 2013/14
- They have won one of their last 11 Premier League away games against Liverpool (D6 L4), with a 1-0 victory in March 2021 under Thomas Tuchel
- Having conceded in each of their last 14 Premier League games – including three goals in four of their last five – Chelsea are on their longest run without a league clean sheet since a sequence of 17 games between March and August 1991 (17)
- Joao Pedro is Chelsea’s top scorer in both the league (15) and all competitions (20) this season and has been directly involved in seven of the Blues’ last nine Premier League goals, scoring six and assisting one
You Should Also Read
