Match Report: Chelsea beat Liverpool 2-1 with late Estevao winner to thrill Stamford Bridge | OneFootball

Chelsea shook off the dark clouds that had surrounded the club in recent weeks and overcame a crippling injury list to beat Liverpool 2-1 in a thrilling match at Stamford Bridge.

Starting slowly, the tempo gradually rose through the game until the 95th minute, when teenage substitute Estevao Willian arrived at the far post to win it for the Blues.

The first 15 minutes were cagey – a patched up Chelsea defence were trying to find their feet, but a Liverpool team low on confidence after two defeats in a row were hesitant too. Just as it looked like we might be about to see a war of attrition, Moises Caicedo was allowed to charge through midfield and unleash a superb strike from the edge of the box. It wasn’t just a great goal, it also opened the game up instantly.

Liverpool were forced to come forward more and Chelsea weren’t afraid to play direct to hit them on the counter. It wasn’t always pretty – neither side had much attacking co-ordination, and it was more a game of individual battles than collective strength – but it made for a great watch. The ball was moving from end to end and the home crowd, all too often bored into silence by patient possession football, responded with great enthusiasm.

The energy in the stands fed back to the players on the pitch, reaching a final crescendo with Estevao’s goal.

Long before that Liverpool had levelled – and that was the moment the game turned on. For all their good work Chelsea were let down by some hesitant defending and a superb touch from Alexander Isak. With the score now 1-1, the fear was that the Reds would find the quality and spirit which made them champions, and Chelsea would fall prey to their usual mental weakness.

But instead the Blues went up a gear. Enzo Maresca made attacking rather than defensive changes and was rewarded as it was his team who dominated the final 15 minutes. Even without both central defenders they were able to stay on the front foot, and they got their reward in the dying moments of the game when substitute Estevao slid in at the far post to put away Marc Cucurella’s cross and send the ground wild.

MOTM – Moises Caicedo

Analysis

Estevao Willian taps the badge. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Chelsea are still not playing their best football, but nobody dancing to Madness in the stands at full time minds too much about that. Considering the injuries in the squad and the fatigue to the first team regulars resulting from that, this was never going to be a complete performance. Getting three points here required enormous grit and belief, and that is something to celebrate in itself.

Maresca put out a brave setup and tried to win the game rather than avoid losing it, which was the right move. His lineup and his changes were aggressive, and paid off. The coach has said in recent weeks he’s still learning his trade, and fans will hope that the lessons of this game are well learned.

Reaching the international break on a high changes the mood around the training ground and punctures the rising tension. Half a dozen players could be back by the time we face Nottingham Forest in a fortnight, hopefully setting the team up for a strong run to Christmas.

Teams

Chelsea Robert Sanchez Reece James Josh Acheampong Benoit Badiashile Marc Cucurella Malo Gusto Moises Caicedo Pedro Neto Enzo Fernandez Alejandro Garnacho Joao Pedro

Substitutes Filip Jorgensen Gabriel Slonina Jamie Gittens (s 75′) Jorrel Hato (s 68′) Marc Guiu (s 74′) Facundo Buonanotte Estevao (s 75′) Romeo Lavia (s 55′) Landon Emenalo

Liverpool Giorgi Mamardashvili Conor Bradley Ibrahima Konate Virgil van Dijk Milos Kerkez Ryan Gravenberch Alexis Mac Allister Mohamed Salah Dominik Szoboszlai Cody Gakpo Alexander Isak

Substitutes Freddie Woodman Joe Gomez Wataru Endo (s 86′) Florian Wirtz (s 46′) Federico Chiesa Curtis Jones (s 56′) Hugo Ekitike (s 74′) Andrew Robertson (s 55′) Jeremie Frimpong

Stats

Quote of the game

“We’re going to have a dinner and we’re going to talk about it. Because I don’t want to do the press conference for many games.” – Willy Caballero on presser duties after Enzo Maresca’s red card.