Steve Douglas
Liverpool: Raheem Sterling’s exquisite solo goal earned Liverpool a 1-1
draw against Chelsea in the first leg of their League Cup semifinal last night.
Sterling cancelled out Eden Hazard’s first-half penalty when he picked up the ball 40 meters from goal, turned and sped away from Chelsea’s defence before applying a low finish in the 59th minute.
Chelsea relied on a string of fine second-half saves from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to hold onto a draw.
Hazard won and converted a penalty in the 18th minute in one of the few sights on goal Chelsea created in a defensive display at Anfield.
Liverpool are now unbeaten in nine games in all competitions and manager Brendan Rodgers has managed to restore the identity of a team that was well below par.
Chelsea fielded their strongest possible lineup.
They were happy to defend in numbers and attempt to play on the counter-attack, with their goal the only shot they had in the first half.
Emre Can, a midfielder filling in at center back, was beaten by Chelsea playmaker Cesc Fabregas down Liverpool’s right flank and then compounded his error by lunging at Hazard after the ball had been played inside. The Belgium winger picked himself up to send goalkeeper Simon Mignolet the wrong way from the spot for 1-0.
Reds’ captain Steven Gerrard forced a flying save from Courtois with a dipping, 30-meter shot but the hosts’ stylish approach didn’t have an end product in the first half.
Sterling changed that with a wonderful individual goal in the 59th. Given room to turn in the middle of Chelsea’s half, the England forward accelerated away from holding midfielder Nemanja Matic, drifted past leaden-footed Gary Cahill and slipped a left-footed finish into the bottom corner. – Sapa-AP