Liverpool passed a significant test of their Premier League title ambitions with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday. The win propelled the Reds back to the top of the table, thanks to a Mohamed Salah penalty and a Curtis Jones strike, securing their 10th win in 11 matches since Arne Slot took over as manager.
Chelsea briefly leveled the score through Nicolas Jackson in the second half, but the Blues ultimately fell to their first league defeat since losing to Manchester City on the opening weekend.
Liverpool now sit one point ahead of City and four points clear of Arsenal, who they face at the Emirates next weekend. Chelsea, currently in sixth place, are seven points adrift from the top, but despite the loss, there were promising signs in their performance as they pushed Liverpool to the limit.
Slot made the bold decision to rest South American stars Alexis Mac Allister, Luis Diaz, and Darwin Nunez, after their international duties, which paid off with Jones delivering a standout performance. The midfielder won Liverpool’s penalty and scored the decisive second goal in only his second league start of the season.
The match began with controversy as Chelsea’s Tosin Adarabioyo avoided a potential red card after bringing down Diogo Jota just six minutes in. Chelsea quickly regained composure, controlling much of the possession and pressing Liverpool.
However, Liverpool’s counter-attack proved dangerous, and it was on one such break that Jones was fouled by Levi Colwill, leading to Salah’s opening penalty — his 10th goal against his former club. Moments later, Cody Gakpo found the back of the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Chelsea responded strongly, with Jackson hitting the post before finally equalizing early in the second half. After a VAR review, Jackson was deemed onside before calmly finishing Moises Caicedo’s through ball for his fifth goal of the season.
Liverpool wasted little time regaining their lead as Jones expertly controlled Salah’s cross to flick in the winner just three minutes after the equalizer.
Chelsea pushed hard for a late equalizer but struggled to break down Liverpool’s defense. Renato Vega and Christopher Nkunku both came close in stoppage time, but the Blues couldn’t find the back of the net.
Liverpool’s win extends their impressive form under Slot, who has only suffered one defeat, keeping them firmly in the title race.
