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LONDON. — The scenes could not have been more different, the emotions more contrasting.

And, they encapsulated the current conditions of resurgent Chelsea and a Liverpool side now making a mockery of their Premier League title defence.

Chelsea were in charge, and a goal up after 62 minutes, when Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, searching for answers and looking to avoid an unwanted place in history with a fifth straight Anfield loss, decided it was time for change.

To the general astonishment of most observers, and to the very obvious fury of the player involved, the man Klopp chose to remove was top goalscorer Mohamed Salah.

Salah departed in what might be politely termed a huff complete with full-on head-shaking, wrestling furiously with a large coat when he got to the bench, as Diogo Jota returned after being absent since early December because of injury.

The Egyptian forward was clearly bemused and unhappy.

He would hardly be beaming with smiles at being hooked in such unceremonious fashion so the reaction was no great surprise, but it was a sign of Liverpool and Klopp’s current struggles – and perhaps some muddled thinking – that it was their leading marksman who was removed when they needed a goal so badly.

If it was a punt by Klopp it was a gamble that did not work as Chelsea moved into the top four with a victory that left Liverpool adrift in seventh, not merely out of those Champions League places, but now also three points behind neighbours Everton, who are fifth and have a game in hand.

How the mighty have fallen:

Liverpool have lost five consecutive home games (league and all comps) for the first time in their history, while they’re also the first reigning English top-flight champion to lose five home league games in a row.

Excluding penalties and own goals, Liverpool have failed to score with each of their last 99 shots at Anfield in the Premier League. Since we have exact times of shots available in the competition (2006-07), only two sides have had a longer such run on home soil.

Liverpool have earned just 10 points from 11 Premier League games in 2021, with only West Brom (nine), Newcastle (seven) and Southampton (four) picking up fewer points since the turn of the year. Struggle.

Only Manchester City (24) have earned more points than Chelsea (18) since Thomas Tuchel took over eight games ago; Frank Lampard earned only seven points from his final eight games in charge.

Édouard Mendy has kept 12 clean sheets in 22 Premier League starts (55%); of the 210 goalkeepers to have started at least 10 games in the competition, he is the only one to keep a clean sheet in over half.

Chelsea have conceded only two goals in 10 games in all competitions under Thomas Tuchel, the same return as they had after 10 games under José Mourinho – both managers’ 10th game was a 1-0 win against Liverpool.

Georginio Wijnaldum’s 85th minute header was Liverpool’s first shot on target in this match, their longest wait for a shot on target in a Premier League home game since May 2010 (90th minute, also vs Chelsea).

The story of Liverpool’s injuries has been told countless times and they have every right to state those facts as one of the reasons why this has turned into such a low-key, dismal follow-up to the title won so spectacularly and convincingly last season.

It must also be stated, however, that to lose these five home games in the manner Liverpool have lost them is unacceptable when set against their previous high standards.

Yes, the Reds have injuries, but they have enough quality — including a world-class trio of attackers in Salah, Firmino and Sadio Mane — to perform with much more drive, creativity and verve.

Liverpool have now gone more than 10 hours without a goal in open play at Anfield – almost unthinkable given the manner in which even the finest teams were intimidated and besieged by Klopp’s teams here in previous years.

The lack of the passionate Anfield crowd has also been cited. It will have an impact but, once again, five straight home losses for the Premier League champions is inexcusable, and other teams wrestle with the same surreal situation.

Klopp now needs to set this record straight and fast against relegation-threatened Fulham this weekend. He needs to solve the riddle of how to get his shot-shy forwards firing.

If he does not, then he is staring at something else which would have been unthinkable not so long ago – no Champions League football next season.

The last time Chelsea were at Anfield in July, it was the night Liverpool had waited 30 years for as the title was finally lifted at the end of a rip-roaring 5-3 win.

How times have changed for both clubs.

In July, Frank Lampard was the man in the away dugout and in feisty mood as he traded words with Klopp and his backroom staff, a Champions League place on the way for Chelsea along with a £200m-plus investment in talent.

Lampard was sacked in January so, this time, Tuchel was in opposition to the manager in whose footsteps he followed at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.

And the elation was clear to see on Tuchel’s face after arguably the best display since his arrival – a win that means he has yet to experience defeat in his first 10 games.

This was very impressive from Chelsea and suggested fourth place may not be the limit of their Premier League ambitions this season.

They are certainly in better form than goal-shy Manchester United and a Leicester City side suffering a blip, both of whom are above them.

The Blues were not only superbly organised and defensively resilient but also razor-sharp in attack, where Timo Werner had one of his best games since arriving from RB Leipzig. — BBC Sport/OptaJoe.