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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Liverpool’s 100% Premier League record may still be intact but an underwhelming second-half performance against Chelsea almost ended their run, and much of that was due to their deficiency in possession.

On the chalkboard

The Reds have had the majority of possession in all but one of their league matches so far – Chelsea – but in each of those matches they have failed to use the ball effectively in the final third.

Last Sunday’s game was a fine example of that. They had a pass success rate of just 63% in Chelsea’s final third, so it is not surprising that they were unable to produce their usual free-flowing style in open play, instead resorting to goals from set-pieces.

Whilst an effective avenue of goals for Liverpool, with 20 goals last season, set-pieces will only go so far, and against teams more organised than Chelsea they will struggle to find a breakthrough if failings in the final third continue to occur.

In fact, they were uninspiring with the ball in all areas. A pass accuracy of 73% led Chelsea to dominate the ball with 55% possession, and but for a strong defensive display from Joel Matip and fine goalkeeping by Adrian, the Blues would have turned that pressure into an equaliser.

Using the ball effectively

Jurgen Klopp’s side are often so effective with the ball because of the care his midfield trio take when in possession, but in recent games Jordan Henderson has faltered slightly.

The Reds skipper started the season well but performances in his last two away league games against Burnley and Chelsea, in which his pass accuracy was 72% and 59% respectively, show that he is in need of improvement.

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A solution could be more patient play, with Liverpool often frantic and turnovers happening frequently, a combined total of 135 recoveries in their trip to Chelsea is evidence of that.

That is partly due to Liverpool’s effectiveness on the press which often means they dont have to rely on intricate play in the final third, but over the course of the season they will face a variety of opponents, and they will need to be effective in all aspects of their game like Manchester City are – with their rivals boasting a pass success rate of 89% compared to Liverpool’s 82%.