Chelsea pinch victory as incohesive Reds fail again

Just when the stage seemed set for a launch moment from Liverpool's new stars, Chelsea's great hope provided one.

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Just when the Premier League champions looked like they could snatch another stoppage-time winner, Estevao gave Chelsea what their late siege deserved. Liverpool got what was coming. This was of course the second time in a week that they have lost 2-1 to a late goal, to make it a third successive defeat.

Liverpool are now very much in a classic Premier League crisis. Chelsea are out of one, as Enzo Maresca almost symbolised with that Jose Mourinho-style run down the touchline to celebrate the winner.

That resulted in yet another red card, this time for the manager himself, but it's hard to think that anyone will care too much about that. Everything is now so much clearer at Chelsea going into the international break.

That doesn’t just apply to results. It’s also how they got there.

As the game ticked into the final half-hour, and Liverpool were building some momentum following Cody Gakpo’s equaliser, Maresca knew exactly what he had to do with his substitutes. That's all the more impressive given that Slot himself mentioned after the game that Chelsea had eight players out, and it could be a “positive” for them.

Instead, Romeo Lavia started to stem midfield, and ensure Chelsea were driving forward again. Jorrel Hato offered a required stability in defence. Estevao, from 75 minutes, was ready to seize the occasion.

There were more than enough occasions when the young Brazilian seized the ball from a Liverpool player lax in possession, something that was a feature of the game.

Against that, Slot's changes seemed to cede the game. They finished with two midfielders in the back four. That just can't work in a match in the balance like this.

People can of course point to available personnel, and the pattern of the game, but there is maybe something much bigger.