Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool: The one cup game Jurgen Klopp attended

You. Shall. Not. Pass.

Frank Lampard edges closer to his first trophy as Chelsea manager with a big win on Tuesday night. After a questionable run of results to start the year, the Blues have seen off Liverpool to book a date at Leicester in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

The boss made six changes to the team that limped to a 2-2 draw on Sunday. Personally I'm not usually a fan of that number of changes for a cup game but after the performance at the weekend it was obvious the team needed a shakeup.
While Liverpool opted to rest some of their stars, don't let any of their fans fool you into thinking it was a completely weakened side that led to their THIRD defeat in FOUR games.

Jurgen Klopp sent his side out to try and hit Chelsea early. They were explosive in attack and hoped to catch the reformed back-line off guard. But as dangerous as they looked it was the Blues who struck early.

This had to have been awkward for Frank Lampard

Willian opened the scoring with a goal from the edge of the box that deflected off of Adrian's chest and into the back of the net. The keeper was furious with his defence for shielding his view. But let's be honest, it wasn't his vision that he struggled with.

The first half played out at a frenetic pace. Open. End to end. Everything anyone could want from a knockout game between rivals. But ultimately the teams went in at the break with a goal to the good.

As the second half began there was a sense that Chelsea were going to grab a second and they didn't have to wait long. Just past the hour mark Ross Barkley drove through midfield and fired his shot past Adrian into the bottom corner

Olivier Giroud getting better with age

Sure, Barkley should have passed to Pedro who had made an impressive run alongside him. But after the abuse the former Toffee suffered at the hands of the away support it was brilliant to see. The only way he could have made it better was to have run down the touchline and celebrated in front of them.

As good as the goals were - at least Barkley's - they were overshadowed by a number of other performances. Olivier Giroud was unlucky to hit the crossbar late on. But beyond that, the Frenchman marked the second most expensive defender in the world™ -other defenders are available- out of the game. Van Dijk could not handle the physicality. Or he was besotted by the proximity to that handsome face and forgot where he was. Who could blame him?

Billy Gilmour getting a lift

Billy Gilmour's name popping up on the team-sheet raised some question marks that he soon erased. He was deemed the official man of the match and for good reason. The tiny midfielder dictated play and went flying into every challenge from start to finish. It was a tour de force performance that won't be forgotten anytime soon.

As much as the tiny Scot dominated the midfield and dictated play, the difference in the game ultimately was the re-introduction of Kepa. The young Spanish keeper has struggled this season and has been callously written off by far too many.

Kepa had been left out of the squad since January. But his performance on Tuesday night was a reminder of why Chelsea paid so much for him in the first place. He made a number of key saves throughout the match including a ridiculous triple save. Triple! I'm not saying his return to the black kit played it's part. But I'm not not saying the black kit was key.

A great team effort and just like that Chelsea have dumped Liverpool out of the FA Cup. The quarter-finals can't come soon enough.

jb xx

RESULT: Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool

GOALS: Willian 13', Barkley 64'

CHELSEA XI: Kepa, Alonso, Zouma, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Kovacic (Mount 42'), Gilmour, Barkley, Pedro, Willian (Jorginho 51'), Giroud (James 90')

STAR MAN: Kepa