As this match ticked into its final half-hour, one statistic told several stories in one. Across 60 minutes at Anfield, Romelu Lukaku managed just 18 touches of the ball.
That was fewer than any other starter. Fewer, even, than both goalkeepers. So much for the striker’s titanic tussle with Virgil van Dijk.
What had been billed as the duel which could tip this early staging post one way or the other was instead rendered another shred of debris, left from the chaos of first-half stoppage time.
That is, of course, exactly what Liverpool would have wanted. A quiet day is rarely a bad day for any defender. But that is also exactly what can happen when a game hinges on one decision. And Reece James’ red card made Lukaku’s difficult job almost impossible. This was meeting No 18 with Liverpool for the striker.
The previous 17 included five goals over nearly a decade. In that time, he had faced Van Dijk five times, too. None of those matches produced a goal for the Belgian, either, though none of those previous 386 minutes had been pored over with this fine a comb.
But now no striker has cost more in transfer fees. Now Lukaku seems the perfect focal point to Tuchel’s side. And Pablo Mari, Arsenal-defender-turned-human-stress-ball can attest to the joy of being thrown, dragged and twisted for 90 minutes by Chelsea’s No 9.Van Dijk was never likely to offer such charity.
But this was his stiffest test since returning from injury. And The Kop knew it – that’s why every sniff of a collision drew such fierce riposte. The first, from a long ball after three minutes, saw Van Dijk simply lean into Lukaku and win a header.
That didn’t dim the deafening roar of approval. Thereafter, though, as this game came to the boil, its key protagonists were muscled off centre stage.
By half time, subplot had become sideshow. In fact, it was telling that, if anything, this battle proved most enticing when Van Dijk deliberately resisted contact. As he did on 13 minutes, when Lukaku received the ball and turned towards goal.
Van Dijk sat off the forward, forced Lukaku to make a pass and the opportunity was spurned. Take note, Pablo.
Lukaku landed the odd blow – he out-muscled Van Dijk near the corner flag – but his opening sight of goal was blocked well by the Dutchman. No wonder Chelsea increasingly tried to isolate him up against Joel Matip.
No wonder fear enveloped Anfield when Matip was sucked into a challenge and turned easily. As Lukaku drove towards goal, though, Van Dijk again invited him into space. Lukaku fed Mount, who dragged his effort wide.
And then everything changed with James’ red. It forced Tuchel into a change of shape and left Lukaku more and more stranded in no man’s land. Crumbs of opportunity did present themselves late on: Lukaku saw a close-range volley blocked by Matip before his through-ball put Kovacic in on goal. But that chance went begging and so this, too, ended in score draw.