Here’s Andy Hunter’s match report from Anfield:
Key events
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.
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!
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!
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.
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 …
