Arne Slot’s Liverpool side ascended to the top of the table following a convincing victory over Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea.
Goals from Mohammed Salah and Curtis Jones sealed the win for the Reds, while Nicolas Jackson netted a consolation for Chelsea.
Lineups
Slot stuck with his usual 4-3-3 formation but made a few changes: Alisson was replaced by Kelleher in goal, Andy Robertson came in for Kostas Tsimikas at right-back, and Cody Gakpo replaced Alexis Mac Allister in midfield.
Chelsea made three changes from their 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest: Reece James, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Romeo Lavia started, replacing Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, and Enzo Fernandez.
How the Match Unfolded
The game wasn’t without its share of penalty drama. Liverpool had a penalty appeal after Levi Colwill’s challenge on Salah was waved away. However, a later challenge on Curtis Jones by the same player resulted in a penalty, which Salah converted to give Liverpool the lead.
The match turned into an end-to-end affair, with Liverpool’s goal being ruled out for offside. Chelsea’s Jackson and Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai came close to scoring, but their efforts were either off-target or saved.
VAR played a significant role in the match. Jones thought he had won another penalty, but VAR overturned the referee’s decision. Similarly, Jackson’s goal for Chelsea was disallowed for offside, a decision upheld by VAR.
The action from Anfield as @MoSalah and @CurtisJr_10 were on target to seal the points for the Reds at Anfield 🙌🔴 pic.twitter.com/Tm6vQenMQx
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 21, 2024
Liverpool’s second goal came from a Salah cross, which found Jones at the far post. He fired past Sanchez to double Liverpool’s lead. Salah’s assist made him one of only two players with a goal contribution in 34 Premier League matches.
This victory also marked an impressive milestone for Arne Slot, who became the only Liverpool manager to win 10 out of his first 11 opening matches.
Analysis
Liverpool’s performance showcased their tactical discipline and attacking prowess—Slot’s decision to start Kelleher and Gakpo paid off, with both players making significant contributions. Salah continued proving his worth as a key player for Liverpool, scoring and assisting.
On the other hand, Chelsea showed moments of promise but were ultimately undone by defensive errors and a lack of clinical finishing. Maresca’s side will need to regroup and find consistency to climb the table.
What’s Next
Now sitting at the top of the table, Liverpool will head to the Emirates to face Arsenal in their next Premier League fixture. Currently in sixth place, Chelsea will look to bounce back against Newcastle.
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