Jason McAteer has pinpointed a key tactical flaw that hurt Liverpool during their frustrating 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Anfield—and it all comes down to one player being played out of position.

The former Liverpool midfielder believes Chelsea deliberately targeted Curtis Jones, who was deployed at right-back, and exploited his lack of experience in the role. While Jones is a natural central midfielder, his instincts to drift inside left gaps that Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella and Cole Palmer ruthlessly exposed.

Liverpool started brightly and took a deserved lead through Ryan Gravenberch, but once Chelsea settled, their attacks consistently came down Liverpool’s right flank. Speaking on the official Liverpool podcast, McAteer stressed that Jones’ positional discipline—or lack thereof—became a glaring weakness.

"Curtis is not a natural right-back… he likes to drift inside," McAteer explained. "If I was a leader on that pitch, I’d be saying to him, ‘listen, don’t be venturing into midfield, you just hold your position at right-back.’"

McAteer was careful not to criticise Jones’ effort, but highlighted the discipline required when playing out of position. "What I won’t do with Curtis Jones is criticise him for his endeavour… but sometimes you’ve got to be disciplined and play the position you’re playing."

He added that from the Chelsea dugout, the tactical weakness would have been obvious. "If I’m the Chelsea manager and I’m looking for weaknesses in Liverpool’s team, the first thing that’s going to stick out is who’s playing out of position."

For Liverpool fans, this analysis echoes growing concerns about squad depth and tactical flexibility—especially when key players are unavailable. Whether it’s a lesson for the coaching staff or a reminder of the need for reinforcements, one thing is clear: in modern football, every positional mismatch can be ruthlessly exploited.