Former England forward Wayne Rooney says Liverpool showed a vulnerability Chelsea were quick to exploit as the Reds slipped to a dramatic 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge.
The game itself was a rollercoaster. Moisés Caicedo opened the scoring with a superb long-range strike before Cody Gakpo levelled for Liverpool in the second half.
But it was a late intervention, a 95th-minute finish from Estêvão, that handed Chelsea a priceless three points and left Liverpool reeling.
Speaking in the aftermath, he argued Liverpool have a “clear problem” in the right-back area, a shortfall that Chelsea identified and used as a weakness during the contest.
Wayne Rooney points finger at Conor Bradley
Rooney highlighted how Conor Bradley has been hooked at half-time in recent matches and suggested the club have been forced into makeshift solutions, including trialing outfield players in the role, which has left the right-side of Liverpool’s defense inconsistent.
That instability, Rooney said, is not subtle, opponents have noticed, and Chelsea adjusted their approach to exploit it.
‘It’s a clear problem Liverpool have got in the right back area,’ Rooney said on BBC’s Match of the Day.
‘Conor Bradley has come off twice at half-time in the last two league games.
‘They’ve tried Dominik Szoboszlai but it hasn’t really worked for him. Jeremie Frimpong was on the bench today but didn’t get on so they’ve tried three right-backs in seven league games.
‘Chelsea have seen that and exploited it. The Liverpool back-four were all over the place at times, there were warning signs early on.
‘Bradley got a yellow card and I’m sure that was a big factor in him getting subbed off at half-time. It was a big problem for Liverpool today as it has been all season.’
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Conor Bradley of Liverpool (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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