When Arne Slot had recommended Chelsea have been potential champions, it posed the query of whether or not they might sustain with Manchester Metropolis, Arsenal and Liverpool. It quickly transpired they may not sustain with the Joneses.

Or not Curtis Jones, anyway. Winners usually are not all the time scored by the most effective participant on the pitch however, in a match that would form two golf equipment’ seasons, this one was. Jones’ show of extraordinary dynamism restored Liverpool to the highest of the desk. It meant that Chelsea, already overwhelmed by Manchester Metropolis, have failed their two largest checks of the season thus far. Liverpool, now seven factors away from them, have handed their hardest.

They did so courtesy of a few very completely different indictments of Chelsea’s switch enterprise. Many a cost could be levelled at Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital however it was a earlier Chelsea regime who let Mohamed Salah depart. With a purpose and an help, he gave them added causes to remorse a previous mistake. If Jones is exactly the type of participant the modern-day Chelsea would promote, Liverpool don’t have to dispense with homegrown skills for pure revenue. Jones joined them at 9. At 23, he had one among his most interesting afternoons in a pink shirt.

The earlier time Chelsea misplaced to Liverpool they have been labelled the “blue billion-pound bottle jobs”. Eight months on, there was a extra flattering appraisal, and from the victor. “If I might be a Chelsea supervisor, I might say if we are able to play like this at Anfield, we are able to compete for a top-four place,” mentioned Arne Slot. This wasn’t a repeat of the Carabao Cup remaining, the extra-time failure in opposition to Jurgen Klopp’s youngsters, or their final journey to Anfield, the 4-1 walloping in January.

There was extra respectability in a reverse. “We don’t prefer to lose, but when we now have to, we select this fashion,” mentioned Enzo Maresca, who pronounced himself “proud but in addition upset”. The Italian might have been exaggerating when he mentioned: “We managed a lot of the recreation”. Slot’s verdict on his 2-1 win might have been fairer. “In a super world, we’d have outplayed them fully however it was an equal recreation,” he mentioned.

Arne Slot was delighted with the contribution from new dad Curtis Jones at each ends of the pitch after he scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea that despatched Liverpool again to the highest of the Premier League.

Jones tucked in Liverpool’s second purpose six minutes into the second half, moments after Nicolas Jackson’s equaliser, having already made an important block to disclaim Cole Palmer after which gained the penalty from which Mohamed Salah opened the scoring.

Jones thought he had gained a second penalty earlier than half-time when he collided with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. Referee John Brooks pointed to the spot however the determination was overturned after a VAR intervention.

Despite the fact that that was to not be, it was an excellent all-round show from the 23-year-old.

Liverpool’s subsequent match takes place within the Champions League, as they journey to Germany to face RB Leipzig on Wednesday. They then journey to London for an enormous recreation on the high of the desk, as they face Arsenal at 4.30pm on Sunday, 27 October.

Chelsea journey to Greece to face Panathinaikos in midweek, earlier than they host Newcastle on Sunday at 2pm.

Regardless of criticising Sanchez, Carragher is filled with reward for Chelsea general.

“I assumed Chelsea have been wonderful,” he says.

“When managers come up in opposition to one another they attempt to do one thing completely different to throw the oppositions setup.

“They triggered Liverpool issues. By way of management of the sport Chelsea have been higher, however what allow them to down was the goalkeeper.

“The factor Chelsea didn’t do sufficient of within the second half was create possibilities.

“Liverpool have been hanging on at instances and so they have been hanging on to get to the ultimate whistle,” he provides.

From Chelsea’s viewpoint, the pundits are uncertain on the function of Sanchez once they conceded the second purpose.

“It’s so poor from Chelsea’s level [of view]. Reece James ambles in there,” says Carragher.

“The goalkeeper is so poor. It was a poor contact from Curtis Jones actually, and it’s poor from the goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez.

“Sanchez has received to go and win that ball.

“Jones needs to be terrified {that a} goalkeeper is coming in the direction of him. You’ve got to get there and hope it hits you within the face and you retain it out.

“Chelsea want a brand new goalkeeper in the event that they need to get again to the place they need to be,” he provides.

There’s loads extra coming from Carragher, Richards and Sturridge on TV.

The primary notable feedback encompass Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, who Sturridge is eager to defend.

“Nicolas Jackson is pivotal to the system,” he says.

“He’s good at going into the false 9 place. It was a improbable end, calm in entrance of purpose.

“I’m analysing him on open play. I’m not analysing him on statistics, I don’t assume he’s devastating in entrance of purpose, however I feel he has what it takes to get there.

“If you’re taking part in within the highlight at any high membership you might be judged due to likes of Drogba, Anelka and Crespo – you’re judging him in comparison with these world-class strikers.

“I feel we now have been a bit too crucial,” he provides.

Reece James additionally briefly spoke to Sky after the match.

“Coming right here is all the time robust,” he mentioned.

“I feel we managed a lot of the recreation. That they had possibilities however we had just a few possibilities as effectively however didn’t take them.

“We’re undoubtedly transferring in the appropriate route. The scoreline doesn’t replicate the sport,” he added.

“If we step again and take a look at performances and what we are attempting to do, we now have come a good distance. It’s nonetheless early days, we haven’t been with the supervisor lengthy.”

Enzo Maresca is subsequent to talk to Sky. He says Chelsea “don’t prefer to lose or drop factors, however I actually favored the efficiency”.

“We deserved one thing extra however the efficiency was good.

“We managed a lot of the recreation. We had possibilities, we had possession. We don’t prefer to lose, but when we now have to decide on that is the best way. The workforce was courageous on and off the ball.

“I don’t assume this recreation defines the place we’re. We ready in the easiest way, it labored fairly effectively. You need to take possibilities, however general I’m very pleased with the gamers.”

On refereeing choices, he provides: “I didn’t see something when it comes to choices from the referee. The one factor I can see is on this stadium is is one thing the noise of the gang.

“The one factor I can say is the referee is there to make choices. Generally they’re proper, typically they’re fallacious. Generally it’s due to the noise [of the crowd], however general I feel they did OK.”

Arne Slot is understandably delighted as he speaks to Sky.

“A very powerful factor, if you wish to have an opportunity of successful a recreation like this, is that you simply work so laborious, which we did,” he says.

“Within the meantime, we created just a few excellent possibilities, and have been a bit unfortunate with some choices,” he provides.

 “I feel it might’ve been an important determination to overturn the referee’s determination [on the penalty]. When you take a look at it on a display, you continue to really feel it’s a penalty.”

He provides that he thinks the early last-man problem from Tosin on Jota was additionally a pink card.

“The followers helped us so much, it most likely comes from these choices.

“Ultimately, a very good win in opposition to a really robust Chelsea,” he says, earlier than including that Curtis Jones put in a “excellent particular person efficiency”.

“Curtis had a tough job, he needed to management Cole Palmer, which isn’t straightforward. He was crucial for us on each elements of the pitch. 

“Everyone who noticed the sport is aware of it wasn’t straightforward. For us it’s excellent that we made a little bit of a spot now.”