• 10 hours ago
Liverpool - Chelsea
Transcript
00:00And this is the side Arnie Slottson aimed as he aims to extend that Reds run into double figures.
00:08Alisson's thigh injury sees a recall for Kwabine Kelleher, who makes his second league start of the season.
00:14Andy Robertson was left out at Palace but returns in place of Costa Simicas today.
00:19Ibrahim Ikenate makes his 100th Liverpool appearance.
00:23Curtis Jones made his first Premier League start in that game at Selhurst Park
00:28and continues today.
00:30Dominic Sobieszla is recalled on the back of two goals for Hungary on Monday night.
00:34Alexis McAllister drops to the bench.
00:37And Diogo Jota, who scored in this fixture last season, leads the line.
00:42There's also a recall to the bench for Tyler Morton,
00:45nearly three years after his last Premier League appearance.
00:52Chelsea have had the youngest side in the Premier League this season.
00:55Nine of Enzo Maresca's 11 today are 24 or younger.
00:59Robert Sanchez is in goal behind a remodelled back four,
01:03with Rhys James making his first Premier League start since December.
01:07And Tosin Adaribiojo recalled.
01:09Wesley Fofana and Marco Correa both missed their first league game of the season through suspension.
01:14Romeo Lavi is also back from injury.
01:17It's his first start since the opening day.
01:19The Belgian in for Enzo Fernandez.
01:21And it's the same front four that started against Forest last time out,
01:25including Cole Palmer, the Premier League Player of the Month for September,
01:29who'll play behind Nicholas Jackson.
01:35Fernandez is on the bench,
01:37with Bettinelli, Badia Scheel and Dewsbury Hall all returning to the squad.
01:43So, two clubs in pursuit of former glory,
01:46each hoping a promising start under a new boss is symptomatic of what's to come.
01:50Liverpool looking for the win to take them back to the top.
01:53Chelsea seeking a statement victory that will mark them down as serious contenders.
02:00A good view there of the way that Chelsea are playing,
02:03they're lopsided no matter when they're attacking.
02:05Gusto gets the licence to push forward whilst James tends to stay back.
02:11And Sanchez couldn't find a way through.
02:13And then a real wrestling match going on between Jota and Tosin.
02:18And it's a yellow card.
02:20The presence of the covering Colwell has bailed him out.
02:24And it takes you back to Bournemouth yesterday evening.
02:34Corner worked short for Gusto, seeing plenty of the ball in these early stages.
02:40That's a swirling delivery into Tosin,
02:44who was offside.
02:46Well dealt with by Callejo, got there in the nick of time.
02:49Not too sure the flag was going to come up.
02:51Yeah, well, he didn't have time to look at the assistant.
02:56Now Medweker, he's got him behind Andy Rawlinson,
02:58pulling it back towards Cole Palmer.
03:00What a block from Jones.
03:04Back in from Caicedo and away by Van Dijk.
03:08Gusto, Palmer.
03:11There's an angst and nervousness around Anfield from the home support.
03:17Well, that decision not going Liverpool's way
03:19certainly got the crowd fuelled.
03:26A moment that has given the Liverpool fans something to grab hold of.
03:30Now Jones playing it full for Salah,
03:32who did well to get himself back onside.
03:34Salah again, cutting in.
03:35Might fall Jones' way, couldn't turn quickly enough.
03:38But he had his legs taken from him.
03:40And Liverpool are given a penalty.
03:43A little go at trying to pinch the ball as Jones turned.
03:50It's one of those.
03:58One from one this season.
04:02Medding against Wolves.
04:05Yellow card shown for the attempt to put him off from Jackson.
04:13So Salah to give Liverpool the lead against his former club.
04:20Dispatched with aplomb.
04:26It's against the Reds.
04:29I would say they've been a little sleepy.
04:32But that was thoroughly finished.
04:35Really well.
04:37And Slott gets a chance to just pump those fists.
04:41And maybe it is the wake-up call Liverpool were crying out for.
04:50It's a chance for Liverpool.
04:53It's a chance for Liverpool.
04:55It's the wake-up call Liverpool were crying out for.
04:59In towards Canarte.
05:03Tosin with the defensive header.
05:05Back in from Alexander-Arnold, but straight through for Sanchez.
05:15It's Curtis Jones.
05:19Threading it through.
05:22But the flag is up.
05:25Cody Gagpost sliding the ball into the net.
05:27Darren Cairns flag up immediately.
05:30Yeah, there was a little verbal spat for about 10 seconds and it's gone away.
05:36Still plenty of time left in this first half after that VAR incident.
05:41Back he goes to Madueke for Palmer.
05:43And that's as close as they've come.
05:51Is James taking the responsibility?
05:54And no time to take the corner.
05:56And it is Liverpool that have a half-time lead.
05:59Given to them by Mo Salah with a magnificently taken penalty.
06:04After a foul by Levi Colwell on Curtis Jones.
06:08Liverpool did think that they were going to have another opportunity from the spot.
06:11Robert Sanchez coming out, catching Jones, but he played the ball first.
06:15The original decision to give a penalty was rescinded, as was his yellow card.
06:20Plenty to admire for Chelsea, but they find themselves behind.
06:24And Liverpool, in their stiffest test of the season so far, have their noses in front of the break.
06:28Is Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea?
06:31Well, Chelsea failed to record a shot on target in the first half.
06:35First time they've suffered that feat in a Premier League match since they played against Arsenal back in April.
06:43They actually had more touches in the Liverpool penalty area than any opposing side
06:48in a Premier League game here at Anfield for four and a half years.
06:52So they're doing something right.
06:54Now, Jackson played in. Is this his moment? Yes, it is.
07:00Only to see the flag go up.
07:03Hard to judge from that angle whether it is Canate's left foot or
07:07the right knee of Jackson that is the furthest forward.
07:13It does look as though Canate's boot has played him on.
07:18It's 1-1.
07:20Now he can celebrate.
07:24Nicholas Jackson wheeling away. Chelsea back in it.
07:28And they will feel deservedly so.
07:32In this instance, just got him behind the Liverpool defence.
07:35And I must admit, you know, knowing that Robertson was closing down quickly
07:39and Van Dijk chasing behind, he takes that extremely well.
07:44That's the kind of composure you want to see in a finisher.
07:46And he has been finishing in great fashion.
07:56Flipped in by Salah.
07:58Sanchez not there in time.
08:03And within three minutes, Liverpool lead again.
08:07Curtis Jones.
08:16He's so quick in reacting with his right foot to just steer it back into the far corner.
08:21And he was just very clever in the way he finally took that.
08:27And Chelsea have paid a price.
08:38Excellent touch with his left.
08:40An even better one with his right.
08:43And Curtis Jones scores his first Premier League goal since New Year's Day.
08:51Enzo Fernandes back for Neto, hoisted high for Madhueke.
08:55Difficult chance off balance, falling backwards.
08:57He did well to get it on target.
08:59This is, I know they're young.
09:02Jim, I know it's a young team, a young squad.
09:05But this team's got some substance already.
09:09There's certainly a savviness about them.
09:12Neto driving forward, going early with the shot that Kelleher would have had covered.
09:17Fernandes with the ball in.
09:20Didn't deflect Gusto's way.
09:25And then Vega just stood his ground there.
09:27Initiated the contact with Diaz and gets a yellow card.
09:32Jones continued his run, Coldwell played him onside.
09:37It's Diaz's urge to shoot and he obliges.
09:40But it's comfortable for Sanchez.
09:43His first thought was to get the ball out as quickly as possible.
09:46Jones continued his run, Coldwell played him onside.
09:51It's Diaz's urge to shoot and he obliges.
09:54But it's comfortable for Sanchez.
09:57His first thought was to get the ball out as quickly as possible.
10:00And Nkunku is fouled by Kamate.
10:05Vega trying the defence splitting ball.
10:06Gomez gets it away, but only after a fashion.
10:09Won back by Enzo Fernandes, winning the battle of the two number eights in the midfield.
10:13Palmer taking it on, McAllister fouls it.
10:17And he's going to receive a yellow card for that too.
10:22There's a one-man wall, which is Mohamed Salah.
10:29Palmer sweeping it in, it was Vega and it was over.
10:32Oh, what a chance.
10:33Oh, I mean, and that reaction tells you all, and his.
10:37Palmer twisting one way, then the other.
10:43Chance to deliver and coming around the back and Nkunku couldn't quite get there in time.
10:48Ball that travelled a long way through the six-yard box from Pedro Neto.
10:53Time very much of the essence for Chelsea.
10:57Nice in the red corner.
11:01Very close now.
11:03Diaz knew Nunez had run offside.
11:07Here is Diaz.
11:11Tiptoeing his way through.
11:13Just unable to find the finish.
11:16Four from Neto to Caicedo.
11:19It'll be controversial if Chelsea equalise from this.
11:24Neto's got it again.
11:26In behind Jackson, Gusto Charly's luck, it was blocked.
11:30Important block from Robertson.
11:32Gusto wins it.
11:33But that is it.
11:36And the Reds roll on.
11:39It's a result that turns a good start into a great start.
11:45Liverpool's title credentials very much underlined rather than undermined
11:51against the Chelsea side who gave it a really good go.
11:56Large swathes of the game where they could go on and on.
11:59Really good go.
12:01Large swathes of the game where they could justifiably point to having been the better side.
12:07But Liverpool showed a Christmas in front of goal that the visitors didn't have.
12:11Jones scoring the winning goal after Mo Salah's penalty had given Liverpool the first half lead.
12:19Nicholas Jackson's goal for Chelsea Academic in the end.
12:22And for Liverpool it's seven wins out of eight.
12:26And number one spot again in the table.
12:27It's finished Liverpool 2.