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The policy of small steps

If the virgin draw does not suit anyone, Reds and Blues, still convalescing, are not choosy, while waiting for better.

Eighth and tenth, with Brentford interposed - the three teams having 29 points -, Liverpool and Chelsea remain ten lengths from an ever more hypothetical qualification for the Champions League.

"For me, it is clear that, in our situation, we must accept to take small steps forward, and it was a small step today", commented after the match Jürgen Klopp, whose 1000th match it was as a coach, in Mainz, Dortmund then Liverpool.

"We wanted to win, but we're going to take this point and keep moving forward," said his counterpart on the Chelsea bench, Graham Potter, in the same tone.

Duel between Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson (g) and Chelsea attacking midfielder Hakim Ziyech, January 21, 2023 at Anfield © Paul ELLIS / AFP

The match had however almost started on a good basis for his men with a goal from Kai Havertz from a corner, but canceled for offside after consulting the VAR (3rd).

This first scare did not encourage Liverpool - where Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson or Darwin Nunez were on the bench at kick-off - to take risks.

Chelsea showed themselves to be a little more enterprising, but hardly sharp, and apart from a header from Benoît Badiashile at the far post, repelled without too much difficulty by Alisson (32nd), the first period was worthy of a mid-table match .

Despite a little more aggressiveness on returning from the locker room, the Reds remained harmless.

A strike from Cody Gakpo in pivot (69th), another from Nunez in a tight angle (76th) hardly woke up an Anfield as apathetic as his team.

Chelsea's Ukrainian Mykhailo Mudryk (g) wrestles with Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold on January 21, 2023 in Liverpool © Paul ELLIS / AFP

Graham Potter, for his part, gave Mykhailo Mudryk his first minutes of play in the Premier League.

Entering the 55th minute, the Ukrainian nugget at 100 million euros offered a small slalom in the opposing defense, punctuated by a strike at the corner of the six meters in the small net (64th), before missing his control after being found, alone, at the far post by Hakim Ziyech 71st).

But 0-0 is a perfectly logical score given the performance of two teams as if paralyzed by the fear of individual errors and neither of which seems capable of showing themselves conquerors again in the short term.

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Newcastle held back

More or less declared candidate for the C1, Newcastle lost a great opportunity to increase its lead over Liverpool and Chelsea by being held in check (0-0) at Crystal Palace.

Crystal Palace striker Jordan Ayew (g) in front of Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff, January 21, 2023 in London © Ben Stansall / AFP

With 39 points, the Magpies return to 3rd, on goal difference, ahead of Manchester United.

The Red Devils have one game less, but that is their trip to leaders Arsenal on Sunday.

Crystal Palace, coached by Patrick Vieira, had already held United at bay (1-1) on Wednesday.

The south London team suffered, but their only shot on target of the match, by the Frenchman Jean-Philippe Mateta, would have been the winning goal without an extraordinary save from Nick Pope (73rd).

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West Ham win the fear game

The Hammers pushed Frank Lampard even closer to the exit by beating Everton (2-0) in a poorly ranked duel.

Everton coach Frank Lampard during the match against West Ham on January 21, 2023 in London © Glyn KIRK / AFP

This 10th game in a row without a win, in all competitions, for only two draws, may well be one too many for the former international midfielder whose team, with 15 points in 20 games, is ahead of the red lantern , Southampton, only on goal difference.

A double from Jarrod Bowen before the break (34th and 41st) sealed the match and allowed the Hammers to get out of the red zone (15th with 18 points), even if they were far from out of the woods.

© 2023 AFP