Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League table as Curtis Jones hit the winner in an entertaining 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Anfield.
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Having been knocked off the summit by Manchester City's last-gasp victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier on Sunday, Liverpool responded by passing arguably their sternest test yet under Arne Slot.
Mohamed Salah's first-half penalty opened the scoring after Levi Colwill felled Jones, though Chelsea levelled shortly after the interval through a composed Nicolas Jackson finish.
However, it was the impressive duo of Salah and Jones that combined for the decisive goal soon afterwards, the latter scoring on the stretch in front of the Kop.
The victory restores Liverpool's one-point lead over City, while they are four clear of their next opponents Arsenal.
Chelsea stay sixth, three points off the top four.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
15 | +18 | 36 |
| 2 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
16 | +18 | 34 |
| 3 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
17 | +18 | 33 |
| 4 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
17 | +4 | 31 |
| 5 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
17 | 0 | 28 |
| 6 |
Man City
MCI
|
17 | +4 | 27 |
How the match unfolded
After surviving an earlier penalty appeal for a challenge on Salah, Colwill clumsily tripped Jones inside the area, allowing the Egyptian to power home from the spot on 29 minutes.
Salah was caught offside when crossing for Cody Gakpo to tap home soon afterwards as the match opened up, with Jackson and Dominik Szoboszlai going close at either end.
Jones thought he had won a second penalty on the stroke of half-time following a challenge from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, but the on-pitch decision was overturned following a VAR review.
Another VAR intervention went Chelsea's way as they levelled three minutes into the second half. Jackson was initially ruled offside when slotting home from Moises Caicedo's through-ball, but that decision was overturned as replays showed Ibrahima Konate played him onside.
That parity lasted just three minutes, though, as Salah's inswinging cross found Jones at the far post, the midfielder taking a wonderful first touch before prodding past Sanchez.
Chelsea substitutes Renato Veiga and Christopher Nkunku both had half-chances late on, but it was substitute Luis Diaz who went closest to scoring a fourth goal as Liverpool took the spoils.
Slot passes major test
Last month's home defeat to Nottingham Forest remains the only blot on Slot's Liverpool record since taking over from Jurgen Klopp and Sunday's victory felt like a particularly important one.
AFC Bournemouth – currently 10th after Saturday's upset of Arsenal – were the highest-ranked team in the Premier League table to have been beaten by the Reds ahead of Chelsea's visit, with three of the four teams still hunting a victory – Ipswich Town, Crystal Palace and Wolves – among Liverpool's early-season opponents.
If Liverpool are to challenge for the Premier League crown, they will have to prove they can do it against the division's best, with Arsenal, Aston Villa and Man City among their next five opponents.
They sent out a statement against Enzo Maresca's resurgent Blues, halting their unbeaten run at six league matches with a typically energetic performance.
Indeed, the way in which Salah, Gakpo and Darwin Nunez – a first-half replacement for the injured Diogo Jota – harried Chelsea's defence to force errors in a frantic start to the second half was reminiscent of Klopp's "heavy metal football".
If Slot can mastermind similar performances against the rest of their direct rivals, fans will continue to leave happy.
Positives in defeat for Maresca
Given the churn in their squad over the last two years, Chelsea's rebuilding process is expected to take time, and green shoots of recovery have been visible throughout a goal-laden start to Maresca's reign.
While the Italian will be disappointed by Sunday's result, there were certainly positives to take from Chelsea's performance.
Captain Reece James returned from a lengthy spell out with a hamstring injury to play 53 minutes, looking lively as he went head-to-head with the man he will hope to challenge for an England starting spot, in Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The midfield duo of Romeo Lavia and Caicedo – both of whom were coveted by Liverpool before moving to Stamford Bridge – also showed promise, with the former looking comfortable on his first start since the opening weekend and the latter sliding a fine pass through for Jackson's goal.
Star man Cole Palmer, meanwhile, had two good chances to get on the scoresheet, seeing one scuffed finish saved by Caoimhin Kelleher, then blasting over just before half-time.
In the end, it was Chelsea's former player Salah, who now has five Premier League goals against them, who made the difference by scoring the first and creating the winner.
Maresca's men will not always come up against that kind of star quality, though, and they can take heart from their display ahead of a challenging run of fixtures against Newcastle United, Manchester United and Arsenal.
Club reports
Liverpool report | Chelsea report
What the managers said
Arne Slot: “I think if you're not a Liverpool supporter or Chelsea supporter, you really liked what you saw today. In the end, also if you are a Liverpool supporter you liked what you saw today.”
Enzo Maresca: “The performance was very good. We don’t like to lose games or drop points but if there is a way for you to do so, then this is the way.
“I have been in this stadium many times and seeing Liverpool in their half for a long time is not easy. Overall, we controlled the game and for most parts, we dominated the game. But we lost, we are not happy but as I said, the performance on the ball and off the ball was very good.”
Next Premier League fixtures
Key facts
Mohamed Salah has now scored and assisted in 34 different matches in the Premier League; the second-most of any player in the competition’s history, only behind Wayne Rooney (36).
Liverpool have won 10 of their 11 matches across all competitions this season (L1); their most victories after that many matches in a campaign since 1990/91, under Kenny Dalglish (also 10).
Chelsea’s pass completion rate (88.1 per cent) is the highest on record (since 2003/04) by an away team in a Premier League match at Anfield, with the previous-highest being Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in October 2022 (87.8 per cent).
Nicolas Jackson has been directly involved in 13 goals in his last 13 appearances in the Premier League (nine goals, four assists), just one fewer than in his first 30 matches for Chelsea in the competition (14 - 10 goals, four assists).
