Liverpool vs Chelsea LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as Curtis Jones sends Reds back to the top
Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea: The Reds return to the top of the table after they take a deserved three points from a tense encounter at Anfield
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Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday afternoon as Arne Slot’s side returned to the top of the Premier League table.
An end-to-end first half failed to create any real chances of note before Curtis Jones produced a brilliant block on Cole Palmer, and then raced into the Chelsea box to win a penalty.
Salah converted from the spot and Liverpool were in the ascendancy from there, with Cody Gakpo having a goal ruled out before half-time.
The second half started in a similarly frantic fashion, though Chelsea landed the first blow, equakising quickly after Nicolas Jackson latched onto a brilliant through ball from Moises Caicedo.
But parity was short-lived, as Curtis Jones got to the end of a Salah cross to poke past Sanchez for 2-1 in the 51st minute.
The rest of the half was far less eventful, with neither side managing to fashion a chance of note before seven minutes were added on.
The home side looked to close out the game as the Blues tried to mount some final attacks, and the Reds’ defence stood firm to confirm the three points.
Follow all the Premier League action with our live blog below:
Curtis Jones embodies former Liverpool great as questions raised over Chelsea’s title chances
When Arne Slot had suggested Chelsea were potential champions, it posed the question of whether they could keep up with Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool. It soon transpired they could not keep up with the Joneses.
Or not Curtis Jones, anyway. Winners are not always scored by the best player on the pitch but, in a match that could shape two clubs’ seasons, this one was. Jones’ display of extraordinary dynamism restored Liverpool to the top of the table. It meant that Chelsea, already beaten by Manchester City, have failed their two biggest tests of the season so far. Liverpool, now seven points clear of them, have passed their toughest.
They did so courtesy of a couple of very different indictments of Chelsea’s transfer business. Many a charge can be levelled at Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital but it was a previous Chelsea regime who let Mohamed Salah leave. With a goal and an assist, he gave them added reasons to regret a past mistake. If Jones is precisely the kind of player the modern-day Chelsea would sell, Liverpool do not need to dispense with homegrown talents for pure profit. Jones joined them at nine. At 23, he had one of his finest afternoons in a red shirt.
Jones embodies former Liverpool great as questions raised over Chelsea’s title chance
Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea: Curtis Jones scored the winner after Mohamed Salah’s opener at Anfield
Post-match reaction
Despite criticising Sanchez, Carragher is full of praise for Chelsea overall.
“I thought Chelsea were excellent,” he says.
“When managers come up against each other they try to do something different to throw the oppositions setup.
“They caused Liverpool problems. In terms of control of the game Chelsea were better, but what let them down was the goalkeeper.
“The thing Chelsea didn’t do enough of in the second half was create chances.
“Liverpool were hanging on at times and they were hanging on to get to the final whistle,” he adds.
Post-match reaction
From Chelsea’s point of view, the pundits are unsure on the role of Sanchez when they conceded the second goal.
“It’s so poor from Chelsea’s point [of view]. Reece James ambles in there,” says Carragher.
“The goalkeeper is so poor. It was a poor touch from Curtis Jones really, and it’s poor from the goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez.
“Sanchez has got to go and win that ball.
“Jones should be terrified that a goalkeeper is coming towards him. You have got to get there and hope it hits you in the face and you keep it out.
“Chelsea need a new goalkeeper if they want to get back to where they want to be,” he adds.
Pundits react on Sky
There’s plenty more coming from Carragher, Richards and Sturridge on TV.
The first notable comments surround Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, who Sturridge is keen to defend.
“Nicolas Jackson is pivotal to the system,” he says.
“He’s good at going into the false nine position. It was a fantastic finish, calm in front of goal.
“I am analysing him on open play. I’m not analysing him on statistics, I don’t think he’s devastating in front of goal, but I think he has what it takes to get there.
“When you’re playing in the spotlight at any top club you are judged because of likes of Drogba, Anelka and Crespo - you’re judging him compared to those world-class strikers.
“I think we have been a bit too critical,” he adds.
Reece James also briefly spoke to Sky after the match.
“Coming here is always tough,” he said.
“I think we controlled most of the game. They had chances but we had a few chances as well but didn’t take them.
“We are definitely moving in the right direction. The scoreline doesn’t reflect the game,” he added.
“If we step back and look at performances and what we are trying to do, we have come a long way. It is still early days, we haven’t been with the manager long.”
FT: Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea
Enzo Maresca is next to speak to Sky. He says Chelsea “don’t like to lose or drop points, but I really liked the performance”.
“We deserved something more but the performance was good.
“We controlled most of the game. We had chances, we had possession. We don’t like to lose, but if we have to choose this is the way. The team was brave on and off the ball.
“I don’t think this game defines where we are. We prepared in the best way, it worked quite well. You have to take chances, but overall I am very happy with the players.”
On refereeing decisions, he adds: “I didn’t see anything in terms of decisions from the referee. The only thing I can see is in this stadium is is something the noise of the crowd.
“The only thing I can say is the referee is there to make decisions. Sometimes they are right, sometimes they are wrong. Sometimes it is because of the noise [of the crowd], but overall I think they did OK.”
FT: Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea
Arne Slot is understandably delighted as he speaks to Sky.
“The most important thing, if you want to have a chance of winning a game like this, is that you work so hard, which we did,” he says.
“In the meantime, we created a few very good chances, and were a bit unlucky with some decisions,” he adds.
“I think it could’ve been a crucial decision to overturn the referee’s decision [on the penalty]. If you look at it on a screen, you still feel it is a penalty.”
He adds that he thinks the early last-man challenge from Tosin on Jota was also a red card.
“The fans helped us a lot, it probably comes from these decisions.
“In the end, a good win against a very strong Chelsea,” he says, before adding that Curtis Jones put in a “very good individual performance”.
“Curtis had a difficult job, he had to control Cole Palmer, which is not easy. He was very important for us on both parts of the pitch.
“Everybody who saw the game knows it wasn’t easy. For us it’s very good that we made a bit of a gap now.”
FULL-TIME! Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea
On Sky, Jamie Carragher has hailed Jones’ performance, calling it a “throwback”.
“Curtis Jones was brilliant, he was outstanding,” said Carragher.
“He’s still at that stage where he doesn’t know for certain if he is first choice, when you have got Gravenberch and Mac Allister.
“But what a performance that was, when you think of the quality on the pitch and the money that has been spent. For a local lad to be player of the match.
“I wonder if Arne Slot is going to go back in for Zubimendi in January, but when you see how he played today you think ‘no’.
“He has to now do it on a consistent basis.”
FULL-TIME! Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea
Matchwinner Curtis Jones is first to speak to Sky.
“We came away with a win, it’s the most important thing obviously,” he says.
“I had it in my mind, if I can keep Cole [Palmer] quiet then that’s a large part of the game.
On the penalties, he says: “I never dive, I felt the contact, so I went down”.
“If you want to play in this team, you’ve got to run, you’ve got to have energy, you’ve got to help out.
On his goal, he adds: “There’s been times when I’ve arrived in the box and it’s been a first-time one. I thought it was going to come and it did, and I was fortunate enough. I got the goal.” He finishes by calling his newborn daughter “a little dream”.
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