The game saw Gakpo play in a midfield ‘No.8’ role. He used to play as a wide player or a frontman but this is something not many have seen before.
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Liverpool could not have hoped for a tougher opening weekend assignment than a trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea in the Premier League. The pulsating tie between the Reds and the Blues lit up the first weekend of the new season. The match neither disappointed the supporters, as it had plenty going on during the 90 minutes. With good goals being scored and VAR ruling out strikes due to offsides, a lot happened on the pitch despite the game ending 1-1.
There were plenty of positives to talk from the match for both teams even though neither side got the three points. Not always clubs begin their opening day assignment in such tough manner, hence Chelsea and Liverpool would have been relatively pleased with the result. After the match, Jurgen Klopp believes his side started the game on the front foot. “I’m OK with a point. I saw the game, so I know who could’ve won… we could’ve lost as well, that’s how it is,” he was quoted as saying by the club’s website after the match.
He added: “I think they had the last chance of the game, right? That would’ve been a great moment to finish it off. But we had a really good start into the game, [I] liked that a lot. Everything was there what we were working on. [We] scored two wonderful goals, one disallowed for offside, was really close. The build-up to that goal anyway was absolutely top-class. But then we opened the door for Chelsea. We lost the ball in one or two situations which was unnecessary and I think the second goal was around a set-piece. I’m not 100 per cent sure. The other goal when we won the ball, but we didn’t clear it enough, but it was offside as well. But obviously Chelsea was better in the game.”
Keeping in mind the difficult nature of the fixture, Klopp is ready to take the draw as a “positive.” “It was an open game then and second half with the crowd and all these things, we had to dig really deep and fight hard. In the end we got a point and that’s OK. I saw a lot of things I liked and, of course, some things I didn’t like particularly, but it’s a first game in a tough place. I tend to see it rather positive, to be honest. So far in my career the first matchdays were always difficult and an away game at Chelsea as a first matchday is not a top draw. So we have a point and we keep working,” he elaborated.
The game on Sunday also saw Cody Gakpo play in an unusual midfield ‘No.8’ role. He used to play as a wide player or a frontman but this is something not many have seen before. Referring to Gakpo’s new position, Klopp said, “He was an eight. He had to do what an eight has to do… he played that pretty much all pre-season. He can play different positions. For players that’s very important in modern football that we should get rid of these [set positions].”
He added: “When we decided everybody can have their own number on the back then the No.2 was not a No.2 anymore and a No.6 was not a No.6 anymore… that was the first step in the right direction. I think modern football is like that. Players can play different positions and Dom Szoboszlai didn’t play the position in his former club as well, he played more from the wing. Defensively, especially, offensively he was more half-space. So, the role suits him, definitely. He is for us super-important.”
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