This autumn Sunday afternoon offered us a great display across the Channel… Liverpool welcomed Chelsea to Anfield, for a clash between two teams in particularly good form in these first weeks of competition. At the start of the day, the Reds were at the top of the standings with six wins in seven days, while the Blues were sixth, on a good run with three wins and a draw in their last three matches. For this shock, Arne Slot was banking in particular on this attacking trio composed of Momo Salah, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota, with Jone, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai in the midfield. Opposite, Enzo Maresca brought out an attacking quartet in which we found Madueke, Palmer, Sancho and Nico Jackson.
Yet aware that they had to win to regain first place from Manchester City, victorious over Wolves at the start of the afternoon, the Liverpuldiens struggled to enter the match. The two teams were also quite cautious, and there was not much to report apart from this semi-miss from Robert Sanchez, author of a bad restart on Cody Gakpo ultimately without consequences for the Londoners ( 19th). It was Chelsea who seemed, little by little, to have the most legs this afternoon, with more ease in making their way through the opposing half. But it was the Reds who were going to have the first big situation of the game: a penalty, quite simply, following a foul by Levi Colwill on Curtis Jones. Mohamed Salah was responsible for transforming it and giving the home team the advantage (1-0, 29th). Bad news immediately for the Reds: affected, Diogo Jota had to give way to Darwin Núñez.
Liverpool regains the lead
But this opening score will at least have made it possible to win the match. If Cody Gakpo thought he had made the break before seeing his goal canceled due to a prior offside (32nd), Nicolas Jackson came close to hitting the target in his first hot situation of the match (33rd). The pace was quite intense, with attacks following each other from one side to the other, but there was also a lot of technical waste and clumsiness, and therefore not that many big chances. Advantage for the residents of the Mersey at the break therefore, even if they had not fundamentally been dominant in the game. On returning from the locker room, Maresca decided to take out Sancho to bring in Pedro Neto. And very quickly, Chelsea would equalize. Launched against by Caicedo, Nicolas Jackson appeared in the area and beat Kelleher (1-1, 48th). The referee first canceled the goal for offside, before validating it after consulting the VAR.
A joy which would, however, be short-lived for Chelsea fans and players… Two minutes after the goal was validated, on a cross from Salah, Curtis Jones broke away from the far post and managed to send the ball into the back of the net ( 2-1, 51st). The pace dropped further following this second goal from Liverpool, who could rely on a brilliant Jones, beyond his goal. The tone sometimes rose, like Darwin Núñez being quite angry and author of a stroll on Badiashile, while his team tried to defend by taking control of the ball. Pedro Neto tried his luck, without success (71st), like the willing but uninspired Blues, and well neutralized by the opposing defense. The score has not changed, and with the three points in their pocket, Liverpool regains the lead of the PL, while Chelsea misses the opportunity to enter the big four and remains sixth.
