KEY POINTS

  • Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen was handed a red card in their loss against Liverpool
  • Thiago Alcantara made his Liverpool debut with a 2-0 win
  • Alcantara tallied 75 successful passes in only 45 minutes

It was a noteworthy Liverpool debut for Thiago Alcantara as he secured a Premier League record in their 2-0 win against Chelsea. The midfielder tallied more passes than any player in the Chelsea squad despite only playing half the game.

The strong performance of Thiago only proves his elite talent. With the way the Spanish standout moved on the field and how he read the situation on the pitch, the 29-year-old was able to make the most of his playing time. With only 45 minutes tallied for Liverpool, he put up 75 successful passes. This is the most passes completed in a maximum of 45 minutes since such Opta began keeping such statistics in the 2003-2004 season, as reported by Goal.

There were additional factors that led to the 2-0 win of the defending Premier League champions. One notable aspect was a red card from Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen that brought the matchup to an advantage for Liverpool. This opened the opportunity for Thiago to complete his historic game.

After the matchup, Chelsea’s manager Frank Lampard reflected on the game’s outcome.

"I’m actually happier in many ways than I was after Brighton on Monday. It was a game of spirit and character and lots of individuals showed me good things today," Lampard said.

The absence of Christensen was a big factor in the game as it interrupted the defensive flow of The Blues.

“I was concerned with how we would defend our box, first half we were brilliant at doing it but the red card changed the whole course of the game," Lampard continued.

It was a brace from Sadio Mane that sealed the deal for Liverpool as his goals from the 50th and 54th minutes were enough to give The Reds the win.

"For chances, the first half was very even. The red card changes the face of the game, the talk I do at halftime, it forces me into a reshuffle and it was always going to be difficult after that,” Lampard concluded.

The current Premier League standings have Chelsea at one win and one loss while Liverpool remain undefeated in their first two games of the season. Players such as Thiago are looking to maintain their stellar play in games to come for Liverpool.

Thiago Alcantara
Thiago Alcantara Reuters