Every year in the Premier League, three races are the most intense: the title race, the race for 4th, and the relegation battle!
The teams in these three positions are the busiest in the Premier League.
Chelsea is in the race for 4th.
The league has now reached the 34th round, with only 4 matches left until the end of the season.
But their lead over the fourth-placed Tottenham is only 1 point, and Tottenham's lead over the fifth-placed Arsenal is also 1 point.
As for the sixth-placed Manchester United...
Let's not even talk about them. They're destined to play in the Europa League, with no hope of breaking into the top four.
Unless, in the remaining 4 rounds, the 3rd to 5th placed teams lose every match, and Manchester United wins every match.
But the problem is, after this match, Chelsea's next opponents are Burnley, Manchester United, Watford, and Leicester City.
How could they not win a single match?
With no pressure in the top four, Chelsea's biggest goal this year is the Europa League title.
The same goes for Liverpool.
Their remaining opponents are Cardiff City, Huddersfield, Newcastle, and Wolves.
However, they have Champions League commitments, which is an uncertain factor.
Especially the semi-final against Barcelona, which will be a tough battle.
The first half of the match ended.
Liverpool went into the locker room with a 2:0 advantage.
On the Chelsea side, Sarri decided to give it another go.
In the second half, he substituted off Willian and Hudson-Odoi for Pedro and Higuaín, letting Hazard return to his familiar wing position.
"Eden, continue to try for individual breakthroughs in the second half!"
"Liverpool's defense can't stop you! Break through their wings! The other players, be ready to receive the ball at any time!"
"Be fast! They are the number one in the Premier League! We can't let them slowly set up their attack!"
Sarri placed all the burden on Hazard.
The other Chelsea players seemed to have long been accustomed to such an arrangement.
They had played well in the first half. If they continued to play like this, they would definitely score.
The short 15-minute halftime break passed quickly.
After the two teams switched sides, the match began again.
"Sarri made substitutions at halftime."
"They've brought on Higuaín and Pedro for Willian and Hudson-Odoi."
"Hazard has returned to his familiar position. Let's see what changes Chelsea will have in the second half."
The second half began.
Chelsea did not rush to attack but held their ground.
But the Liverpool players knew that they weren't not attacking, but waiting for Liverpool to make a mistake.
Hazard did not participate in the team's attack, always waiting for the pass after the team had completed their defense.
Finally, in the 60th minute, Hazard received a pass from Jorginho in the center.
The Belgian striker immediately launched a frantic dribble down the wing.
With a series of shoulder drops and changes of direction, he got past Henderson and Matip, and Hazard had already brought the ball into the heart of Liverpool's territory.
Seeing that he was about to charge into the box, Tendou also gave up his marking of Higuaín and strode towards Hazard.
Just as Tendou went for a slide tackle, Hazard, who had already made two consecutive changes of direction, managed to make a third one in front of Tendou!
He stepped on the ball, pulled it back, and then made a horizontal pass to Higuaín.
It was ridiculous!
Higuaín did not miss this opportunity. His excellent instincts had led him to the best position in advance.
After receiving Hazard's pass, he quickly adjusted and completed the shot.
"WHOA!"
The ball flew past Alisson's grasp and into the Liverpool goal.
The long-silent Chelsea fans finally had a voice.
Although their remaining four opponents were not as strong as them, who could be certain in football?
Of course, they had to take all the points they could get.
"What a pity! That goal went in!"
"This has nothing to do with TJ. Hazard is too much of a threat to Liverpool!"
"Three consecutive changes of direction in a short period of time!"
"Arnold has once again forced TJ to come over and help defend!"
The official Liverpool commentator, seeing his own Crown Prince getting beaten again, shook his head.
Sometimes, he really wished Klopp would change his tactics and try a 4-2-3-1.
That way, they could add a wing-back, not wasting Arnold's attacking ability while also solidifying the team's defense.
Of course, this was just an occasional fantasy.
Klopp's current formation had helped Liverpool to the top of the league and had already proven to be successful.
2:1!
Chelsea had pulled one back!
After scoring, Higuaín celebrated simply and immediately got back into the match.
In the 67th minute of the match, Chelsea found another opportunity. Hazard started to dribble from the midfield, and like a dragon, he wove through the team and got the ball into the Liverpool backfield.
After losing the ball, Liverpool did not choose to sit back. This was their home ground; there was no reason to retreat.
This gave Chelsea an opportunity.
With no other choice, Arnold had to bring down the advancing player with a slide tackle from behind.
His slide tackle was aimed at the ball, but the Belgian seemed to have been hit by a truck and was sent flying.
In an instant, the accumulated anger of the Chelsea players erupted, and they all rushed towards Arnold.
A tackle from behind, this move can be very dangerous.
"XXXXXXX~"
"Pipita" Higuaín reached out to grab Arnold and also greeted Arnold's family in his native language.
According to Arnold's personality, at a time like this, he would most likely show his aggressive side.
But whether it was because he had been hanging out with Tendou too much, his brain suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
The referee hasn't made a call on the tackle on Hazard yet. Why don't I take a fall?
No sooner said than done. The moment Higuaín touched him, he immediately covered his face and fell to the ground.
He didn't just fall; he also let out a pig-like scream.
TWEET, TWEET, TWEET~
His exaggerated scream immediately caught the referee's attention.
The referee, with his "sharp eyes," saw Higuaín's hand gesture.
He had already warned both sides many times before. This time, he would definitely not let them off easily.
Red card!
Without hesitation, he immediately took a bright red card from his pocket and held it over Higuaín's head.
Such malicious retaliation, causing the opponent to roll in agony, he had to show his impartial side.
At the same time, Arnold did not get off scot-free either.
His tackle from behind was also a dangerous move and was the root cause of the conflict.
The referee showed a second red card.
Arnold was instantly stunned. He jumped up from the ground on the spot.
"I was going for the ball!"
"He's diving! I'm not even 1.8 meters tall! How could I send someone flying five meters with a tackle?!"
...
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