01 February 2024 , 07:00
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He is such a rookie, even the massed ranks of the Kop have yet to come up with a bespoke song for him.
“There’s only one Conor Bradley.” That was the best they could do. But not only will Bradley soon have his own tune, he will be a standard-bearer for this resurgent Liverpool squad … whoever sits in the manager’s chair.
The long-term future of this side belongs to the likes of Bradley - not to Jurgen Klopp - but, for now, the 20-year-old from Northern Ireland symbolises the vibrancy, the energy and the relentlessness of a squad that looks perfectly-equipped to send their manager away with a title-winning flourish.
Significantly, there were no Klopp homages ahead of this kick-off - after all, this was serious business, not an FA Cup knockabout.
Against an improving Chelsea team, this was the first post-announcement test of Liverpool’s title challenge and they were a touch fortunate to get through the first ten minutes unscathed, Virgil van Dijk getting the considerable benefit of Paul Tierney’s and VAR’s doubt after appearing to send Conor Gallagher sprawling in the penalty area.
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But it proved to be a rare moment of threat from Chelsea, who were consistently forced into midfield errors by Liverpool’s fiendish work-rate. There cannot be a harder-pressing team in the top flight than Klopp’s.
Nor can there be a striker more willing to have a pop than Darwin Nunez and although his early efforts only produced one scuff-mark on a post, he deeply unsettled the Chelsea’s defence. So, unsurprisingly, the likes of Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva had a couple of moments to forget when Diogo Jota scrambled through the middle to put Liverpool ahead.
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Conor Bradley was outstanding against Chelsea (John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)Quite simply, Chelsea had few answers to Liverpool’s intensity, could not cope with the ferocity of challenges all over the park, young Bradley setting the example. And when the young full-back Bradley was not recovering possession and setting up the opener, he was drilling in the second from a testing angle.
Bradley’s first Liverpool goal sent Chelsea into further disarray and matters should have been put beyond doubt just before half-time when the hapless Benoit Badiashile tripped Jota but the kind-hearted gesture of handing penalty duty to Nunez predictably backfired as the Uruguayan’s effort hit his favourite post.
That reprieve - and three much-needed interval changes - should have given Chelsea a lift but they did not really lay a serious glove on Liverpool before their fate was sealed thanks largely to another assist from the irrepressible Bradley. To be fair, though, while his whipped cross was top-class, the headed conversion by Dominik Szoboszlai was even better.
Still, it was Bradley’s name that was chanted by the Kop but the biggest compliment came from his manager when he gave the young defender a rest 20 minutes from time - presumably, to make sure he would be fresh for the trip to Arsenal on Sunday. One of four changes, it might have backfired on Klopp had Chelsea quickly followed up Christopher Nkunku’s nice individual effort, but Nunez decided providing was easier than scoring and plated up a fourth Liverpool goal for Luis Diaz.
Only then did the Kop erupt into THAT Klopp song … but you can bet they are working on a Bradley ditty as we speak. After all, he is the future.