LONDON — A dramatic late winner from Estêvão lifted Chelsea over Liverpool 2-1 to disclaim the reigning Premier League champs the possibility to return to the highest of the desk.
Cody Gakpo thought he had rescued some extent for Liverpool after an opener from Moisés Caicedo, however a strike from substitute Estevao within the ninety fifth minute turned the sport. Liverpool had surrendered prime spot earlier within the day when title rivals Arsenal beat West Ham United 2-0, with the Reds remaining in second place going into the worldwide break.
Caicedo gave Chelsea the lead when his shot from distance rifled previous Giorgi Mamardashvili within the 14th minute at Stamford Bridge. Gakpo poked residence from shut vary shortly earlier than the hour mark but it surely was Enzo Maresca’s aspect who went on to clinch the victory after Estevao tucked the ball residence deep into stoppage time. — Beth Lindop
Because the Chelsea gamers wheeled away to have a good time Estevao’s late winner, the tune “Chelsea Dagger” blasted out from the audio system at Stamford Bridge.
Actually, Liverpool will likely be wounded by this defeat, which might show pricey of their pursuit of the Premier League title. It’s the first time in Arne Slot’s tenure the Reds have misplaced three consecutive video games and the primary time they’ve misplaced back-to-back league video games in over two years, since losses in opposition to Bournemouth and Manchester Metropolis in March-April 2023.
That Liverpool nonetheless sit second within the desk — only a level off leaders Arsenal — is a testomony to their sturdy begin to the marketing campaign. However, having been the beneficiaries of so many late targets within the early weeks of the season, Slot’s aspect have now been handed a bitter style of their very own drugs in successive video games, with the newest blow coming after Eddie Nketiah’s last-gasp winner for Crystal Palace final week.
Liverpool should not but in full-blown disaster however they at present appear like a shadow of the group that romped to the title final time period. After a summer season of monumental change on the membership — throughout which they spent near £450m within the switch market — a interval of transition is maybe to be anticipated. Nonetheless, if Slot needs his group to defend their crown, he must give you options fairly shortly. — Lindop
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Liverpool had been unable to seal a deal to signal Caicedo when he left Brighton for Chelsea in 2023, however the Ecuadorian made them pay this time.
The Reds backed off and backed off, permitting Caicedo to gather Malo Gusto’s easy 14th-minute cross and take purpose. The 23-year-old fired an unstoppable shot into the highest nook so as to add a recent entry into an already spectacular showreel.
They joke in these components than Caicedo solely scores screamers and there’s loads of proof that’s the truth is the case: his first aim for Chelsea got here from the midway line in opposition to Bournemouth in Might 2024 whereas final season his two efforts had been each gorgeous strikes, in opposition to Manchester United at Outdated Trafford and to seal a 4-1 UEFA Convention League ultimate win over Actual Betis.
Goalscoring was not a part of the pondering when Chelsea dedicated a then British-record £115 million switch payment on Caicedo however it’s beginning to develop into a massively invaluable bonus. Caicedo has already scored extra Premier League targets this season (three in seven video games) as he did in his first two seasons for the membership in 73 video games. — James Olley
For thus lengthy, Mohamed Salah has been Liverpool’s talisman — the person they turned to when in want of a second of magic. At current, although, the Egypt worldwide’s golden contact seems to be evading him.
In opposition to former membership Chelsea, Salah as soon as once more appeared a shadow of his former self and spent a lot of the night on the peripheries of the motion. Within the first half, he had simply 18 touches, the joint fewest of any Liverpool participant (alongside Alexander Isak), and accomplished simply six of his 11 passes.
After the break, he was extra concerned, although his erratic ending was uncharacteristic of a participant who scored a league-high 29 targets within the top-flight final time period.
After all, there are some mitigating circumstances for his dip in kind. The arrival of Isak and Hugo Ekitike this summer season signifies that Salah continues to be having to forge new relationships with the gamers round him. It is usually not possible to quantify the impression of Diogo’s Jota’s tragic passing on the 33-year-old, who broke down in tears on the opening day of the season in opposition to Bournemouth.
Nonetheless, no participant — irrespective of how nice — can outrun Father Time endlessly. Having signed a two-year contract extension again in April, Liverpool supervisor Arne Slot will hope Salah’s slum is non permanent, however it’s clear that, for now at the very least, he has misplaced his spark. — Lindop
How becoming that on the finish of every week during which Jose Mourinho was serenaded on his newest return to Stamford Bridge — this time with Benfica — present Chelsea supervisor Enzo Maresca was in a position to get pleasure from a second paying homage to certainly one of his predecessor’s most iconic moments.
Mourinho’s run down the touchline at Outdated Trafford as his Porto aspect knocked out Manchester United on the best way to profitable the 2003-04 Champions League is without doubt one of the Portuguese’s most iconic moments. That triumph obtained him the job at Chelsea, the place he turned a legend throughout two spells.
Who is aware of the place it will sit within the membership’s historical past, however Maresca emulated Mourinho by sprinting right down to the nook the place his gamers celebrated Estevao’s dramatic intervention. It additionally earned him a pink card from referee Anthony Taylor, denying him any additional enjoyment within the second however there was mounting strain on the Italian after a combined begin to the season with some supporters unconvinced he’s the correct man to take them again to difficult for Premier League titles.
Beating the champions will really feel notably candy for him in that context and so his response was comprehensible. — Olley
Maresca was already with out Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo (all injured) and Trevoh Chalobah (suspended) right here earlier than shedding Benoit Badiashile to harm early within the second half.
That pressured Maresca to introduce Romeo Lavia — solely simply match once more — into midfield and shift Reece James to centre-back alongside teenager Josh Acheampong, the 19-year-old academy graduate who impressed on solely his fourth Premier League begin and by a ways his most vital.
Eight minutes later, Liverpool equalised and shortly afterwards, Acheampong couldn’t proceed and Jorrel Hato was launched for his fifth look after a £37 million summer season transfer from Ajax.
On the prime finish of the pitch, Chelsea relied on Joao Pedro however with Liam Delap injured — to not point out playmaker Cole Palmer additionally absent — Marc Guiu made his first look after a sudden recall from Sunderland. He touched the ball twice. However Estevao made positive none of it mattered on Saturday. — Olley
As legendary Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson as soon as stated: “Assault wins you video games, defence wins you titles.”
Primarily based on this season’s proof, Liverpool’s defensive woes imply that it’s troublesome to see them retaining their Premier League crown with out critical enchancment. The Reds have now conceded 9 targets of their seven league video games this time period and have stored a clear sheet in simply two of their ten matches in all competitions.
Against this, rivals Arsenal have let in simply three targets within the prime flight this time period and it’s that stability that has helped propel them to the highest of the desk. From the opening sport of the season in opposition to Bournemouth, Liverpool have regarded leaky.
Ibrahima Konate — out of contract subsequent summer season — has regarded brief on composure, whereas Slot’s incapability to choose a first-choice right-back has prevented the Reds’ again line from gaining any sort of consistency. Regardless of having captured the signatures of a number of prime attackers final summer season, Liverpool’s collapsed transfer for Palace defender Marc Guehi appears increasingly more pricey with each passing week. — Lindop
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