By Henry Vinter | 11 December 2055
If the Premier League title race was a boxing match, the referee would have stepped in to stop it on Saturday evening. Chelsea didn’t just beat Liverpool; they broke them.
In a “Title Showdown” billed as the last chance for the chasing pack to stay relevant, Chelsea delivered a 3-0 masterclass that was equal parts clinical brilliance and defensive heroism. The scoreline suggests a rout, but the underlying numbers tell a story of a team that simply knows how to win when it matters most.
The Great Illusion: 3-0 on the Scoreboard, Even on the Pitch
Football can be a cruel liar. A glance at the scoreline suggests Chelsea battered their closest rivals. But dig into the statistics, and you see the difference between champions and contenders.
Liverpool actually generated an Expected Goals (xG) of 1.51 to Chelsea’s 1.58. The chances were there for the visitors. The finishing was not.
While Liverpool’s forwards fluffed their lines, Chelsea’s Hasitha Mohamed Risvi produced a performance for the ages. The goalkeeper was named Player of the Match with a 7.7 rating and 4 critical saves. In a 3-0 win, it is rare for the keeper to be the hero, but Risvi was the wall that broke Liverpool’s spirit.
Haigh Strikes Again
The deadlock was broken after just three minutes, and inevitably, it was Joseph Haigh.
The winger, whose “Concerned” status seems to fuel him like high-octane petrol, pounced on a defensive error by Makis Sotiriou to head home from inside the six-yard box.
That is now 4 goals in his last 3 league games (following his brace against Lyon and strike vs Leicester). He is undroppable, unhappy, and unstoppable.
The Brazilian One-Two
With Liverpool chasing shadows, the Brazilian legends put the game to bed.
Pelé, restored to the starting XI after the rotation against Leicester, doubled the lead in the 18th minute with a low drive that took a wicked deflection. It was a slice of luck, but you make your own luck when you have won 16 games in a row.
Júnior then added the final insult in the 64th minute, applying a “deftly executed finish” from close range to make it 3-0.
16 and Counting
The league table now makes for comical reading. Chelsea have played 16, won 16. They have vanquished Arsenal (5-3), Man City (5-1), and now Liverpool (3-0). They haven’t just beaten their rivals; they have humiliated them.
Jurgen Klopp’s successors at Anfield will look at the 1.51 xG and wonder how they lost 3-0. Calin Dimario won’t care. His machine rolls on to the Carabao Cup Quarter Final against Leeds, leaving the rest of the Premier League fighting for second place.