Enzo Maresca: “I really like the performance of our team … perhaps we deserved something more. We don’t like to lose, but if you have to drop points, this is the way to do it. We had possession in their half, we were brave on and off the ball and I feel this is the right way.”
“I don’t think today’s game defines where we are – we tried to prepare in the best way. You have to take chances, but overall we played well, we were brave and it’s important we leave with a good feeling.”
Here are Liverpool’s next 11 games – it’s a pretty brutal run: Leipzig (A), Arsenal (H), Brighton (A, Carabao Cup), Brighton (H), Leverkusen (H), Villa (H), Southampton (A), Real Madrid (H), Man City (H), Newcastle (A), Everton (A).
Arne Slot: “The most important thing is you have to work so hard, which we did. We created a few very good chances, and were perhaps unlucky – although maybe I am a bit biased – with some of the decisions.” He’s referring to the VAR overturn of the second penalty, and also Adarabioyo only getting a yellow card for his foul on Jota.
Slot was booked during the game and said “my emotions took over … I deserved the yellow card. Lots of people were shouting and I jumped in!” He adds that the second penalty “still looked a penalty on the screen.” He also praises Curtis Jones for keeping Cole Palmer quiet, and for his involvement at both ends of the pitch.
Here’s Andy Hunter’s match report from Anfield. Thanks for joining me, and enjoy your Sunday evenings. Bye!
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Curtis Jones: “To play in this team, you’ve got to run, you’ve got to have energy, press, get back and help out.” He adds that his shoulder is still a bit sore after being suplexed by Sanchez, and hasn’t seen the penalty calls yet but definitely “felt contact” on the first.
Jones became a dad last week: “it’s the best thing ever, a different type of joy”. Under Slot, players now sleep at home the night before games, and Jones adds: “I was in the spare room last night, but she’s a little dream, she’s sleeping well.” Player of the match on very little sleep, and he called the interviewer ‘la’ to boot. Lovely stuff.
“My side won, so I feel I can say that I can’t remember a worse refereeing performance,” writes Johnathan. “Brooks was weak, inconsistent, and had no control over the game.” I agree he wasn’t great, but I can think of worse refereeing performances this month.
“Re: Gravenberch,” writes Drew Lundgren. “We’ve all tried to transform an attacking mid into a defensive mid on a video game – are we to believe it’s actually working for Slot? In real life??” It seems to be – he was very much the water-carrier today with Jones pushing forward, and did so with very little fuss.
On Sky, Kelly Cates says this felt “like a Cup game” – and it’s reflected in the post-match reaction, Chelsea looking crestfallen while Liverpool players pat each other’s backs, a mixture of pride and relief.
Full time: Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea
Liverpool reclaim top spot in the Premier League after a very hard-earned victory. Curtis Jones got the winner, just moments after Nicolas Jackson had levelled for Chelsea, who had their chances but were just outmuscled by their opponents. Arne Slot’s impressive start continues.
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96 mins: A final half-chance for Chelsea, Neto’s cross running through to Gusto on the right … but Robertson makes the block, and Liverpool hold on!
95 mins: Diaz almost seals victory in superb style, picking up Mac Allister’s pass, slaloming through two defenders, but sending his shot just high and wide of Sanchez’s goal.
94 mins: Another Chelsea chance! Neto swings in a cross from the left and Nkunku gets a toe to the ball – but can only send it into the side netting. The Liverpool defence were on their heels there …
93 mins: Gomez does well to close down Veiga on the left side, at the cost of a throw-in to Chelsea. Seven added minutes, by the way …
92 mins: Oooof! Palmer’s inswinging delivery is in the sweet spot and Renato Veiga gets to it first, but heads over the bar! That was a chance, even if Konate was making life difficult for him.
91 mins: At the other end, Palmer steps away from Mac Allister, who continues a fraught cameo by tripping him up, earning that yellow card – and giving Chelsea a dangerous free kick …
89 mins: Caicedo crunches into Van Dijk in midfield, giving Liverpool a chance to lift the ball into the area. Both centre-backs go forward, but Szoboszlai’s delivery lacks direction.
88 mins: Renato’s header lands to Szoboszlai, who finds Gomez on the right – but he opts to retain possession rather than swing a cross into the area.
87 mins: Chelsea are still in with a shout here – but Neto aside, the substitutes haven’t offered much, with Nkunku getting frustrated here and fouling Gomez.
85 mins: An example here as Gomez sends the ball behind for a corner with an edgy backpass. The corner is played short, whipped in, and cleared away.
84 mins: Liverpool appear to be seeing this out with a degree of comfort, but there’s been a weird edge to this game, where it feels like either defence might self-destruct at any moment.
82 mins: Mac Allister gets involved in what’s been a mighty scrappy run of play, hacking down Gusto with a challenge that would probably earn a booking, had he not just come on.
80 mins: Diaz has a go from 25-odd yards out, but his shot is straight at Sanchez. Konaté brings down Nkunku to stop a Chelsea break, and is booked. Another Liverpool change incoming: Joe Gomez will replace Trent Alexander-Arnold at right back.
79 mins: Alexis Mac Allister is set to come on for the last 10 minutes. Slot opted not to risk starting him after he picked up a knock on international duty. He’ll replace Curtis Jones, who has proved himself a very able deputy.
77 mins: Chelsea probe without success in the Liverpool third and then the hosts break through Luis Díaz, who is upended by Veiga.
75 mins: Badiashile concedes a free kick out on the right-hand touchline. Before Liverpool take it, Madueke is replaced by Nkunku for Chelsea.
72 mins: Neto again makes that dangerous infield run, and with a lack of attacking options around him, pulls a low shot wide of the far post.
70 mins: Neto makes another impressive infield run, barrelling past Alexander-Arnold and Konate before prodding delicately to Palmer, whose shot is closed down.
69 mins: Alexander-Arnold, who had been very solid so far, almost lets Enzo Fernandez in as he dithers on a ball which wasn’t quite running through to Kelleher.
67 mins: Badiashile moves forward but, after overplaying a pass wide to Neto, is clattered by Nunez. The striker gets a booking, and Chelsea have a free kick, from which they pass the ball around a bit.
65 mins: Cody Gakpo, who has had a middling afternoon, is replaced by Luis Diaz.
63 mins: Chelsea win a free kick close to the edge of the area as Gravenberch brings down Neto, this time running inside to try and escape Alexander-Arnold. Palmer takes it but it clips the wall, and from the corner, Nunez is bundled over to ease the pressure.
62 mins: Neto, a busy presence on the left, lifts a cross to the far post where Madueke opts to let it drop, volleying a shot straight at Kelleher.
61 mins: Neto protests after Gravenberch nicks the ball away from him on the edge of the area, having dropped back to assist Alexander-Arnold.
59 mins: Liverpool advance and Nunez finds Salah, who sweeps the ball beautifully over to the left flank. Gakpo dallies on the ball, reducing his options, and sends a tentative effort well over the bar.
58 mins: Renato makes a break through midfield but is dispossessed by Jones, who then draws a foul from Caicedo …
56 mins: Neto hooks in a cross towards Palmer, gambolling in like a gazelle, but Kelleher gets down to smother the ball.
Like a frustrated Fifa player, Maresca responds with three changes in one go – Badiashile, Enzo Fernandez and Renato Veiga are on for James, Tosin and Lavia. Veiga, who is becoming something of a fan favourite, will play on the left with Malo Gusto moving to right-back.
A crafty bit of attacking play, with three Liverpool players offside as Salah whips in a cross – but not Curtis Jones, who times his run perfectly to nick the ball past Sanchez and inside the far post. He’s been Liverpool’s standout player so far today.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea (Jones 52')
Well, that didn’t last long. Liverpool restore their lead in a matter of moments through Curtis Jones!
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50 mins: That was simple but so effective, the kind of move Chelsea had been threatening to put together throughout the first half, helped by Liverpool sitting much higher up the field.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea (Jackson 47')
Konate was playing him onside, and the goal stands. Jackson has his fifth goal of the season, and Chelsea are back in the game!
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Goal? Caicedo plays in Jackson, who spins in between Konate and Van Dijk, runs on and slots coolly past Kelleher – but the flag is up. Replays, though, tell a different story …
Peep!
We’re back under way, with Pedro Neto on for Jadon Sancho. I’m slightly surprised as Sancho had been lively – if well-marshalled by Alexander-Arnold down the right.
In other news …
At Anfield where David James has just saved two penalties from a young child in a charity shootout. He is being rightly booed
— Will Unwin (@Will_Unwin) October 20, 2024
“Out in France and the commentators are curious as to how a grey-area decision at best can be overturned by VAR,” writes Ben Jones. “The only thing clear and obvious about that challenge by Sánchez was that he was always going to scythe through Curtis Jones.”
I’m not sure why Sanchez getting a touch negates him then going through Jones like Hulk Hogan through a stack of barrels. Mike Dean himself said the same (in so many words), but then changed his mind once he saw Brooks heading to the pitchside monitor.
“It’s moments like these that prove beyond doubt that Curtis Jones is head over heels in love with playing for Liverpool,” writes Peter Oh. “I thought it was a flippin’ foul.”
Half time: Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea
So, one Liverpool penalty given – and scored by Mohamed Salah – and another overturned by VAR. Chelsea have been in the game, with Cole Palmer going close late in the half, but dodgy defending has been their downfall so far. More soon …
52 mins: We play on, thanks to the delay in checking the penalty call – and Palmer is bundled over by Szoboszlai, who then kicks the ball away. He gets a yellow card, probably for the latter infraction. James whips in a dangerous ball, which Nunez does well to nod away. And that’s half time.
49 mins: Close from Palmer! This is the closest Chelsea have come, with Cole Palmer controlling Madueke’s cutback and curling his effort just over the bar.
47 mins: Sanchez, who has been close to a liability for Chelsea in this half, got lucky there. I think that kind of challenge might be a red card even in rugby union.
Penalty to Liverpool? This is an awful mess, with Sanchez trying to block Jones’ shot and sending the Liverpool man flying over his shoulder. Brooks points to the spot, but the replays show Sanchez actually kicked the ball on to Jones’ shins … and after a monitor check, the penalty (and booking) is overturned.
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45 mins: Madueke wins a corner, delivered by Palmer and headed away by Van Dijk. We’ll have five minutes of injury time …
44 mins: We close on half-time with a familiar pattern now in place – Chelsea probing in the Liverpool half, the hosts happy to wait and pounce on a mistake.
42 mins: Chelsea have plenty of attacking options on the bench – Nkunku, Neto, João Félix – although Jackson is OK to continue for now.
40 mins: Jackson has gone down off the ball, holding his hip. He’s had a busy international break, playing twice for Senegal in Afcon qualifying. It looks like he might have hurt himself after falling while taking that shot on a few minutes ago.
39 mins: Caicedo is robbed by Nunez, who feeds Salah on the right. His ball in to Gakpo’s feet puts him one-on-one with Adariaboyo, but the Chelsea defender stands his ground well this time.
38 mins: Palmer misjudges a pass on the edge of the Liverpool area; he’s not had the best of games so far. Chelsea come again, and the tricky Sancho is denied by Alexander-Arnold, at the expense of a corner.
36 mins: Gakpo plays a lovely pass in to Szoboszlai, who mishits a decent chance into Sanchez’s gloves, causing Peter Drury to shout DOMINIK Szoboszlai at an entirely unnecessary volume.
“I just made the mistake of checking the darker parts of the internet, where everything is binary and there are no shades of grey, and there are Arsenal supporters claiming that Adarabioyo’s yellow and Saliba’s red are definite proof there’s a PGMOL conspiracy against them,” writes Andy Flintoff (not that one).
I’ve never really understood how these refereeing conspiracies are supposed to work. If you have ever had a decision go your way, surely that debunks the whole theory?
34 mins: Chelsea break through Caicedo, who plays a raking diagonal ball to Jackson. His shot from a tight angle is decent, perhaps clipping the very outside of the post – but Maresca is unhappy he didn’t look up and see Palmer arriving in the middle.
No goal! They almost pay for their fuzzy thinking here, with Sanchez’s weak clearance setting up another Liverpool attack. Nunez flicks on to Jones, who plays in Salah, whose low cross is turned in by Gakpo. Lovely stuff … but the flag is up, Salah just offside in the buildup.
31 mins: Sanchez is off his line quickly to clear from under Nunez’s feet, before Salah wins a corner. Chelsea just need to clear their heads here …
30 mins: Jackson is booked for protesting the decision while Salah waited to take the penalty. There’s also an early change for Liverpool, with Diogo Jota – moving gingerly ever since that Tosin challenge – being replaced by Darwin Núñez.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea (Salah pen 29')
Sanchez dives to his right, Salah smashes the ball into the other corner, and Liverpool lead!
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Penalty to Liverpool!
Moments later, Salah’s blocked shot rebounds into Curtis Jones’ path – and as he turns to shoot, he’s brought down by Colwill. That’s a penalty, right there. And now Salah will step up …
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25 mins: Liverpool go again, Colwill appearing to foul Salah outside the area, and there’s another challenge in the area, but John Brooks waves the appeals away. Arne Slot is so hoppin’ mad he gets a booking, but you might argue Salah leaned into that second challenge. But wait …
24 mins: Chelsea break and Madueke’s cut-back deflects to Cole Palmer, whose quick shot is blocked smartly by Jones. You almost expect him to score from that kind of position …
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23 mins: At the other end, James gets into trouble and is prised off the ball by Gakpo. Jota has a run at the last man, but the referee gives a foul. James was a little lucky there …
21 mins: Another tricky deep cross from Reece James is headed behind by Alexander-Arnold; from the corner, Kelleher has to clear under pressure from Jackson, but then the offside flag is raised against Colwill.
20 mins: The first murmurs of frustration from the home fans as a pass goes astray in the centre circle. Liverpool fans are also urging their team to push forward – everyone is behind the ball with Chelsea in possession.
19 mins: Maresca appeals after Alexander-Arnold brings down Sancho in the area after a tangle of legs, but no further action is taken.
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18 mins: Sanchez almost gifts Liverpool the lead, trying to be too clever and clattering the ball off Gakpo. Luckily for Chelsea, it ricochets back into this gloves.
16 mins: Enzo Maresca has won his first three away Premier League games, and his team have had the better of a fairly low-key opening, bar the Tosin yellow card.
13 mins: Chelsea move the ball smoothly through midfield again, and Sancho plays in Gusto, whose cross is deflected behind – but he got the last touch, so it’s a Liverpool goal kick.
11 mins: A nice Sanchez-Sancho link here as the Chelsea keeper plays a perfect long pass out wide. The winger advances and pulls it back to Gusto, who overcooks his attempted cross.
9 mins: A lull in the game, during which we get a close-up of Kelleher, making his 50th Liverpool appearance and untroubled thus far.
7 mins: Adarabioyo is booked! Probably a fair decision – Jota would have had more to do than Evanilson yesterday, with the ball heading towards the touchline and Gusto in pursuit. Tosin is on the proverbial tightrope now, though.
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6 mins: Uh-oh … Salah launches a long ball and Jota is away, in behind Tosin Adarabioyo, who is caught on the wrong side and bundles him over. It’s a very similar incident to the William Saliba red card last night …
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5 mins: Caicedo stays down briefly holding his knee, but is OK to carry on for now. Diogo Jota almost breaks through the Chelsea defence, but just lets the ball out from under his feet.
4 mins: After a wriggling run from Jones, Salah’s long-range effort comes off Colwill’s hand – nothing given, although Colwill was actually outside the area.
2 mins: We’ve started at a gentle pace, with Reece James’ curling cross headed away by Konate in the first attacking foray from either team.
Kick off
Here we go, Liverpool in all-red, Chelsea in almost all-blue (white socks). It’s a classic combination.
First, a minute’s applause for Peter Cormack, a star midfielder for Bill Shankly’s Liverpool side, who died recently at the age of 78. Here is one of Cormack’s most famous goals, a diving header to win the Merseyside derby in 1972. RIP.
“You’ll Never Walk Alone” echoes around Anfield. How about Chris McCausland on Strictly, eh? Anyway, kick-off is coming up …
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“This should be a highly entertaining fixture,” writes Mary Waltz. “On VAR. Bin it. Has it reduced the amount of controversy? No. Accept human frailty and go back to human decisions.” I don’t think there’s any chance VAR will be binned; it still feels to me that in England, it’s the way officials use the system that is largely to blame.
And Arne Slot: “It’s always the next game, it’s a tough one as Chelsea are doing well this season. It’s no surprise to me, they have a lot of very good players, so an interesting challenge.”
Here’s Enzo Maresca: “Reece was injured, now he’s back, hopefully he can get minutes and get a bit more fit. I know Romeo very well from City, it’s similar, he just needs games [but] he’s back to help us.”
“Today’s game won’t define where we are, if we win or not. We try to prepare in the best way, get points, and then we’ll see.”
Full time: Wolves 1-2 Manchester City
Incredible VAR drama (Varma?) at Molineux, as John Stones heads a last-gasp winner … only for Stuart Attwell to send the referee over to the monitor. But after a quick look, Chris Kavanagh sticks with his onfield decision! You can unpick all that with Daniel Harris.
Reece James captains Chelsea in his first appearance since May; he slots in at right-back with Malo Gusto on the left, covering the suspended Marc Cucurella. Wesley Fofana is also out after getting a fifth booking, with Tosin Adarabioyo coming in, while Roméo Lavia replaces Enzo Fernández in midfield.
Three changes for Liverpool, with Andy Robertson back in place of Tsimikas, and Dominik Szoboszlai replacing Alexis Mac Allister. That could mean Curtis Jones moves back alongside Ryan Gravenberch in midfield. In goal, Caoimhin Kelleher replaces the injured Alisson.
As it stands, Liverpool will kick off the game top of the table – because after Arsenal lost at Bournemouth, Manchester City are labouring at Molineux, where it’s 1-1 with 15-odd minutes to play. Follow that one with Daniel Harris:
Team news
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones; Szoboszlai, Salah, Gakpo; Diogo Jota.
Subs: Jaros, Gomez, Endo, Díaz, Núñez, Mac Allister, Tsimikas,
Quansah, Morton.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; James, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Gusto; Lavia, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson.
Subs: Bettinelli, Disasi, Badiashile, Pedro Neto, Fernández, João Félix, Nkunku, Dewsbury-Hall, Veiga.
Referee: John Brooks. VAR: Michael Oliver.
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Preamble
Arne Slot and Enzo Maresca, two humble, softly-spoken, fashionably bald tracksuit managers, both stepped into pre-warmed seats in the Premier League at the start of this season. Slot arrived from Feyenoord with the unenviable task of replacing one of Liverpool’s greatest and most beloved managers; Maresca, on the other hand, took up a pew nobody much seemed to want, or have any hope of staying in for long.
For both new arrivals, the early signs have been positive. Liverpool have barely broken stride, winning six of their first seven league games while developing a more considered style under Slot. When Chelsea opted to ditch Mauricio Pochettino and bring Maresca in, they looked doomed to another reset – but the Italian has already assembled an exciting, youthful first XI who are outpacing early expectations.
Which brings us to today’s showdown at Anfield. This fixture brought little joy to the visitors in the Jürgen years. Seven different Chelsea coaches faced Klopp on his home turf in the league; the only one who got a win is now the England manager. Liverpool start as favourites, and a victory would cement their status as bona fide title contenders.
On the other hand, if Chelsea can rewrite recent history and win here, they would move a point behind Liverpool, suddenly back in the title race conversation themselves after years of turbulence. An intriguing contest awaits, kicking off at 4.30pm BST (yes, still BST). Let’s go!
