Ryan Gravenberch Strike Not Enough as Liverpool Draw 1-1 With Chelsea at Anfield
Liverpool played to a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Anfield on Saturday, May 9, 2026, in a Premier League clash that saw an early lead evaporate before halftime.
The Reds surged ahead in the sixth minute of their penultimate home fixture of the season. After Rio Ngumoha recovered a blocked Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick and shifted the ball to Ryan Gravenberch, the midfielder took a touch to set himself before bending a fine curling strike into the far corner of Filip Jorgensen’s net.
Despite the early momentum, the points were eventually shared. Ten minutes before the break, Enzo Fernandez leveled the score with a low free-kick from the right that evaded the defense—including Wesley Fofana—and squeezed in at the far post.
Liverpool’s defense had to remain vigilant throughout the match. Captain Virgil van Dijk produced a brave header to stop Joao Pedro from connecting with a cut-back from Malo Gusto. Van Dijk nearly doubled the lead shortly after via a corner routine, but his side-foot finish bounced off the ground and sailed over the crossbar.
In goal, Giorgi Mamardashvili, returning from injury, proved crucial. He intercepted a dangerous through ball from Cole Palmer intended for Joao Pedro and made a key save against Marc Cucurella before the Chelsea equalizer.
Manager Arne Slot navigated several personnel changes for the fixture. Mamardashvili, Milos Kerkez and Rio Ngumoha were all restored to the starting lineup. While Alexander Isak returned from absence to begin the match on the bench, Florian Wirtz was ruled out of the encounter due to illness.
Liverpool’s final lineup featured Mamardashvili, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones, Gakpo, Frimpong, Gravenberch, and Ngumoha. Substitutions in the second half saw Isak enter in the 67th minute, followed by Ibrahima Konate being replaced by Joe Gomez and Gakpo by Federico Chiesa in the 77th minute.
The result leaves Liverpool to reflect on a missed opportunity for three points as they approach the conclusion of their campaign.
