Contenders or pretenders? It was a legitimate question to ask of Liverpool given their almost flawless start under Arne Slot and the wait for their first serious Premier League test. Old Trafford does not qualify at present. Chelsea provided it and Liverpool found the answers, hauling themselves back to the summit with a tireless defeat of Enzo Maresca’s emerging team.
New dad Curtis Jones secured victory – Slot’s seventh in eight Premier League matches – moments after Nicolas Jackson had cancelled out Mohamed Salah’s first‑half penalty. Jones was outstanding one week after becoming a father and having slept in the spare room the night before.
