Ross Barkley on route to his sensational goal
(Getty)He stayed strong for the rest of the night, in what was one of his best performances for Chelsea.
It wasn’t one of Liverpool’s best performances, but they were far from bad.
Such passages of pressure indicated their attacking play was as pulsating as ever, with some deft touches in
small spaces amid the frenetic intensity of this cup tie.
That is why, for all that will be read into this final result with a different starting XI, there wasn’t that much
off about the actual play.
Kepa just happened to get in the way of it.
On a different night, with the goalkeeper on the different form of two months ago, it might have been a very
different outcome.
Another alternative might have been if Adrian was in their goal. He was left grasping at air again in the
second half, as Barkley plundered the second goal.
Adrian wasn’t all bad, it must be said. He stared down Pedro for one-on-one, before excellently tipping one
Olivier Giroud effort onto the bar.
You could say the difference was these weren’t powered right at him, but there was one similarity to many
of these moves.
Chelsea were doing Liverpool on the break time and again.
Ross Barkley scores to seal Chelsea’s victory
(Getty)