Chelsea deepened Liverpool’s woes with a thrilling 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge, handing the reigning Premier League champions their third consecutive loss in all competitions.
An added-time winner from teenage sensation Estevao Willian sealed a dramatic win for Chelsea, after Cody Gakpo had briefly brought Liverpool level following a stunning opener from Moises Caicedo.
After a blistering start to the season, seven wins in all competitions, Arne Slot’s Liverpool are now in free fall, with defeats to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and now Chelsea exposing cracks in the squad’s rhythm and chemistry.
Chelsea took the lead in the 14th minute when Liverpool gave away possession in midfield.
Moises Caicedo seized the opportunity, advancing unchallenged before unleashing a rocket from outside the box into the top corner.
It was a goal that reminded Liverpool fans of what could’ve been, after the Ecuadorian midfielder famously chose Chelsea over them in 2023.
Despite Liverpool’s reputation for late comebacks, they lacked cohesion.
Alejandro Garnacho nearly made it 2-0 with a curling effort that struck the post, and he was later denied a penalty after a push by Dominik Szoboszlai, leading to a heated exchange that earned Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca a yellow card.
With Alexander Isak largely ineffective and Mohamed Salah struggling for form, Slot introduced Florian Wirtz at halftime to inject some energy into the side.
The change nearly paid off, as Wirtz set up Salah, who fired wide.
Liverpool eventually equalised in the 77th minute. A cross from Szoboszlai found Isak, who flicked the ball into the path of Gakpo and the Dutchman bundled it home from close range, his first goal in eight appearances.
But Chelsea weren’t done.
Despite losing defender Benoit Badiashile to injury and later Josh Acheampong, Chelsea pushed forward relentlessly in the final minutes.
Robert Sanchez made crucial saves, and Enzo Fernandez came close with a header that hit the post.
The breakthrough came deep in stoppage time when Marc Cucurella delivered a perfect cross into the box. Estevao, showing composure beyond his years, finished from a tight angle to seal a crucial win.
The dramatic winner sent Maresca sprinting down the touchline in celebration — a move that earned him a red card, but one he likely won’t regret.
The defeat sees Liverpool surrender top spot to Arsenal, who edged past West Ham earlier in the day.
Despite spending over £400 million this summer, Slot’s side has struggled to replicate last season’s title-winning form.
Meanwhile, the win lifts Chelsea to sixth in the table and eases the pressure on Maresca, who was staring down a third straight league defeat.
