Estêvão produced a 95th-minute winner for Chelsea in their 2–1 victory over Liverpool in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge, condemning the Reds to a third straight loss for the first time under Arne Slot.
Chelsea were the dominant force throughout the first half and Caicedo produced a goal worthy of a half-time lead early in proceedings. The midfielder strode towards Liverpool’s penalty area and rifled into the top corner to pile more misery on the out-of-sorts Reds.
Cody Gakpo thought he had scored a decisive equaliser for Liverpool just after the hour mark, but Chelsea deservedly secured all three points in stoppage time as their visitors suffered late heartbreak for the second weekend in a row.
Here are five takeaways from a thrilling clash in the capital.
Chelsea’s Tremendous Character Wins the Day
Chelsea were without a host of players through injury and suspension for Liverpool’s visit, with many tipping the Reds to get back to winning ways due to their hosts’ troubling fitness issues. However, the Blues were worthy winners against the reigning champions, exhibiting the character and determination their visitors lacked in abundance.
Chelsea made their intentions clear from the first whistle. They pressed and harried Liverpool in their own third and smothered them as soon as they stepped foot over the halfway line. They forced the Reds into repeated errors throughout with sheer hard work and graft, turning over the ball consistently in key areas.
Even when their injury crisis deepened after the break and they conceded an equaliser, their heads never dropped. They showed tremendous spirit to ignore their disadvantages and instead of sitting deep and playing for a point, they fought tirelessly for all three. In the end, they got exactly what they deserved.
Amid a difficult run of form which has seen them lose three of their last five matches, this was the perfect response from Maresca’s men.
Injury-Hit Defence Stand Up to the Challenge
Chelsea welcomed Liverpool to Stamford Bridge with a defence held together by sticky tape. The Blues found themselves without Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo and Levi Colwill through injury, with Trevoh Chalobah’s red card last weekend earning him a suspension. Enzo Maresca had to plump for the seldom-seen pairing of Benoît Badiashile and Josh Acheampong in the heart of his defence.
Badiashile produced a monster performance in Chelsea’s midweek win over Benfica on his first start since his injury return and the Frenchman was similarly useful in the first half at Stamford Bridge, saving a certain goal as he blocked Dominik Szoboszlai’s close-range effort. Acheampong also rose to the occasion against the might of Alexander Isak, showing impressive maturity and physicality to deal with the record Premier League signing.
But Chelsea’s fitness crisis deepened in remarkable fashion after the restart. Both Badiashile and Acheampong were forced off with injuries within 22 minutes of the second half, Maresca left cursing his rotten luck. Up against Isak, Florian Wirtz, Mohamed Salah and Gakpo, the home supporters were left fearing the worst.
But the Stamford Bridge faithful were pleasantly surprised by what they witnessed in the closing stages, with the new partnership of Reece James and Jorrel Hato rising to the occasion. They limited Liverpool to half-chances at best, rarely troubled by the band of superstars that stood in their way.
Chelsea’s defensive injuries make their triumph all the more remarkable—even if Maresca will be sweating over their fitness during the international break.
Liverpool Sink to Another Torrid Defeat
For the first time in Slot’s time with Liverpool, they have lost three matches on the spin. The Reds can have few complaints about any of their losses, either, producing dismal displays worthy of nothing in trips to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and now Chelsea.
They were outfought and outplayed at Stamford Bridge by their injury-stricken hosts. Even without talisman Cole Palmer, Chelsea were able to play through the Reds at will, with Liverpool once again disjointed defensively and fatigued in midfield. It was another disastrous day at the back for Slot’s rearguard, with the exception of Premier League debutant Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Liverpool’s attack must also accept some of the blame. Salah produced another limp performance against his former employers, while Isak struggled to make a telling impact and missed a glorious chance to equalise in the first half. Gakpo scored but was often stifled down the right flank, while Wirtz was unable to make a decisive difference from the bench.
Fortunately, Slot has the international break to remedy Liverpool’s issues. Is this merely a blip, or something more sinister? Either way, it‘s another defeat that sees them slip behind Arsenal in the standings. It’s now the Reds who are playing catch-up in the title race.
Another Disaster for Ibrahima Konaté
Ibrahima Konaté’s stock continues to plummet by the week. The Frenchman appears increasingly likely to follow the path laid by Trent Alexander-Arnold and join Real Madrid on a free transfer next summer, but the Spanish giants might not want him by the time the season concludes.
Konaté has undoubtedly been unsettled by links with the Santiago Bernabéu, with an alarming decline in performance levels since the beginning of the season. He’s been sloppy and sluggish in and out of possession, and a significant reason behind Liverpool’s disappointing defensive displays early in the campaign.
Having produced another unspectacular performance against Chelsea, Slot finally had enough. The centre back was hooked in the 56th minute as his coach opted to use Ryan Gravenberch as a makeshift defender, offering a damning indictment of Konaté’s form in the process.
Liverpool only have Joe Gomez as a senior centre back alternative following Giovanni Leoni’s ACL injury, but Slot will be growing increasingly tempted to promote the Englishman ahead of Konaté moving forward.
Florian Wirtz Drops to the Bench
Scrutiny of Florian Wirtz’s early Liverpool performances has been relentless but understandable given the German’s £116 million ($156.2 million) price tag, with headlines made before a ball was kicked as the attacking midfielder dropped to the bench.
Wirtz could have few complaints based on recent performances—although some of the criticism surrounding him has been somewhat hyperbolic—and Slot opted for the more industrious Dominik Szoboszlai as his most advanced midfielder.
While choosing a more defensive-minded midfield away at Chelsea makes sense, it’s a worrying selection from Wirtz’s perspective. Liverpool have struggled to know how to use the 22-year-old since his arrival and Slot is seemingly still unsure.
The fact that Slot turned to Wirtz at the break after a dreadful first-half display underscores that he‘s not the sole issue for the Reds, and he made a largely positive impact immediately after arriving on the pitch. Not for the first time, he could have had an assist if Salah had produced a more clinical finish just a minute after the restart.
But Wirtz faded as the second half wore on and the sloppy touches became more regular as he drifted into the background. It was another frustrating day for the German, who is still awaiting a goal or assist for the Reds.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea 2–1 Liverpool: Five Takeaways As Reds Suffer Third Successive Defeat.
