Liverpool's title credentials received a significant boost as they overcame a resilient Chelsea 2-1 at Anfield, reclaiming the Premier League summit. Mohamed Salah's penalty and Curtis Jones' decisive strike propelled the Reds to their 10th victory in 11 games under manager Arne Slot.
Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson briefly equalized in the second half, but the Blues succumbed to their first league defeat since the season opener against Manchester City. Liverpool's triumph places them one point ahead of City and four clear of Arsenal, their next opponents at the Emirates.
Chelsea, despite the setback, displayed encouraging signs in a performance that tested Liverpool's limits. The Blues remain six points adrift of the top in sixth place.
Slot's only defeat at Liverpool came against Nottingham Forest after the September international break. In response, the Dutchman benched South American internationals Alexis Mac Allister, Luis Diaz, and Darwin Nunez due to their recent transatlantic exertions.
Jones' inclusion in the starting lineup proved inspired, as the England international earned Liverpool's penalty and scored the winning goal. Chelsea escaped a red card in the opening minutes when Tosin Adarabioyo fouled Diogo Jota, an incident similar to William Saliba's dismissal for Arsenal against Bournemouth.
Despite Chelsea's early possession dominance, Liverpool's pace on the break posed a constant threat. Salah's penalty gave the Reds the lead after Jones was brought down by Levi Colwill. Cody Gakpo's goal was ruled out for offside, while Jackson struck the woodwork for Chelsea.
Chelsea received a reprieve before halftime when VAR overturned a penalty decision against Jones, who was adjudged to have been touched by Robert Sanchez. However, the Blues equalized within three minutes of the restart through Jackson, who was initially ruled offside but was shown to be onside by Ibrahima Konate.
Liverpool regained the lead three minutes later when Jones converted Salah's cross. Chelsea pressed for an equalizer but struggled to create clear chances until stoppage time. Renato Vega and Christopher Nkunku missed opportunities to level the score.
Tags: #Liverpool, #Chelsea, #PremierLeague, #MohamedSalah, #CurtisJones
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