Published 11:41 IST, September 21st 2020
Thiago BREAKS Premier League record in just 45 minutes in fine Liverpool debut
Liverpool's new No. 6, Thiago, didn't take much time to show his class on his debut. He broke a PL record with his astonishing 75 passes in just 45 minutes.
Liverpool's latest star signing, Thiago Alcantara, couldn't have made his Premier League debut in a more ideal scenario. Coming on for captain Jordan Henderson in the second half against Chelsea, Thiago made the most of his minutes on the field, dictating the tempo for much of the second period. Playing against a ten-man Chelsea surely helped the Spaniard bed in as he racked up an impressive 75 passes in the game to set a new Premier League record.
According to Opta Stats, Thiago's tally of 75 successful passes is the most by a player who played a maximum of 45 minutes since the 2003-04 season - the season when the league started collecting full passing data. Astonishingly, the former Bayern Munich midfielder's tally of 75 passes is more than any Chelsea player managed in the entire game. Mateo Kovacic registered 57 successful passes for the Blues in a game in which they were completely dominated by the defending champions.
While Thiago was not credited for any of Liverpool's goals, he was heavily involved for the Reds in the middle of the park, spraying passes and controlling the pace of the game. Thiago did give away a penalty after some minor contact sent Timo Werner down in the box, but a fine save from Alisson meant Liverpool ended the game with a clean sheet.
For Liverpool fans, Thiago's passion for the game was on full-display after he celebrated a successful tackle on Chelsea's N'Golo Kante:
Chelsea vs Liverpool highlights
Right from the first whistle, Liverpool dominated the proceedings with Chelsea looking to hit the visitors on the break. However, right at the stroke of the first half, Frank Lampard's men suffered a major setback after defender Andreas Christensen was shown a red card for bringing down Sadio Mane, who was clear on goal.
A ten-man Chelsea massively struggled to contain the movement of the Reds, who kept hold of the ball for much of the second half. Sadio Mane scored the breakthrough after a fine exchange from Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah allowed the former to find Mane with an exquisite cross. Minutes later, Mane doubled the lead, pouncing on a howler from Kepa Arrizabalaga.
A poor penalty from Jorginho summed up the night for Chelsea, who really failed to test Alisson for the entirety of the game. Liverpool scored a comfortable 2-0 win to make it two wins in two games.
Both Liverpool and Chelsea will be in action during in midweek in the League Cup. Chelsea will host Barnsley on Wednesday night, while Liverpool will be at Lincoln City on Thursday night.
(Image Credits: Liverpool FC Twitter)
Updated 11:41 IST, September 21st 2020