Liverpool reclaimed their position at the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 win over Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday, a match that manager Arne Slot described as the hardest test of his tenure. The victory puts Liverpool one point ahead of Manchester City and four clear of Arsenal, who they will face next weekend at the Emirates.
Mohamed Salah’s penalty and Curtis Jones’ second-half winner secured Liverpool’s tenth win in 11 matches since Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp. Chelsea, who controlled nearly 60 percent of possession, briefly leveled through Nicolas Jackson but ultimately suffered their first league defeat since the opening weekend loss to Manchester City.
“Many other games were hard but this might have been the hardest because of the amount of quality players they have and the structure they have,” Slot commented. “We had to fight really hard to get this one over the line.”
Chelsea, currently seventh in the standings, saw encouraging signs in their performance despite the result. Manager Enzo Maresca remained optimistic, saying, “We lost, we are not happy, but the performance with and without the ball was very good.”
Liverpool’s only defeat under Slot came against Nottingham Forest after September’s international break. For this match, Slot made the decision to bench key players like Alexis Mac Allister, Luis Diaz, and Darwin Nunez, opting instead to give Jones his second league start of the season. The decision paid off as Jones not only won the penalty for Liverpool’s first goal but also netted the decisive goal in the second half.
Chelsea started the match strong, dominating possession in the first half and forcing Liverpool onto the defensive. However, Liverpool’s counter-attacks proved dangerous, and in the 31st minute, Salah set up Jones, who was fouled by Levi Colwill in the box. Salah converted the penalty for his 10th goal against his former club.
Chelsea had opportunities to respond, with Jackson hitting the post late in the first half. They were also awarded a penalty, which was overturned by VAR when it was determined that Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez had made contact with the ball before fouling Jones.
The second half saw Chelsea equalize just three minutes in, with Jackson calmly finishing a through ball from Moises Caicedo. Initially flagged offside, the goal was awarded after VAR showed that Ibrahima Konate had played Jackson onside.
Liverpool quickly regained the lead in the 51st minute when Jones scored from Salah’s cross, a goal that ultimately sealed the match. Despite controlling the ball for much of the final 40 minutes, Chelsea struggled to create clear scoring chances, and Liverpool held firm to secure the win.
Chelsea’s last efforts came during stoppage time, with Renato Vega and Christopher Nkunku missing chances to equalize, ensuring Liverpool held on for a hard-fought victory.
