Estêvão Scores Dramatic Late Winner As Chelsea Stuns Liverpool

‎Liverpool’s faltering Premier League title defence suffered another setback on Saturday as they fell 2-1 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

‎The defeat saw the Reds relinquish top spot to Arsenal heading into the international break.

‎Caicedo’s Screamer Lights Up Stamford Bridge

‎The match began with a frenetic tempo, and it didn’t take long for the hosts to expose Liverpool’s midfield frailties.

‎Moisés Caicedo, a player who came agonisingly close to joining the Reds last summer before opting for Chelsea, reminded them of what they missed out on.

‎Granted too much space outside the box, the Ecuadorian unleashed a thunderous 25-yard strike that arrowed into the top corner, leaving Giorgi Mamardashvili rooted to the spot and Stamford Bridge erupting in delight.

‎Chelsea, buoyed by their opener, continued to press high and disrupt Liverpool’s rhythm. Yet the visitors had their moments too.

‎Dominik Szoboszlai thought he had found the equaliser after a clever piece of wing play from Cody Gakpo, but Benoît Badiashile produced a remarkable block to deny him what seemed a certain goal.

‎Reds Wasteful in Front of Goal

‎Liverpool showed flashes of attacking intent but were plagued by indecision and poor execution in the final third. A glaring example came when Milos Kerkez, after a surging run, only needed to square the ball for Mohamed Salah to tap home from six yards.

‎Instead, his pass inexplicably found Marc Cucurella at a moment that summed up Liverpool’s wastefulness on the day.

‎Chelsea could have doubled their advantage before the break when Alejandro Garnacho’s curling effort from the edge of the area struck the outside of the post, with Mamardashvili well beaten.

‎The Reds were perhaps fortunate to go into half-time only one goal down, their lack of control and precision leaving plenty for Slot to ponder.

‎Slot’s Tactical Switch Almost Sparks a Comeback

‎Recognising his side’s attacking bluntness, Arne Slot turned to Florian Wirtz at the interval in search of a spark. The change nearly paid immediate dividends within 20 seconds of the restart, Wirtz found Salah in the box, but the Egyptian could only drag his shot wide of the far post.

‎Liverpool continued to press and finally found a breakthrough just after the hour mark. Szoboszlai delivered a teasing cross that Alexander Isak expertly brought down.

‎Before the £125 million man could unleash a shot, Gakpo reacted quickest to hammer the ball past Djordje Petrovic and level the scores.

‎The equaliser seemed to swing momentum in Liverpool’s favour, especially after Chelsea were forced to substitute both of their starting centre-backs through injury. But instead of crumbling, the Blues regrouped and began to threaten again on the counter.

‎Chelsea’s Young Guns Deliver in Dramatic Fashion

‎The final ten minutes saw a flurry of chances at both ends. Chelsea’s Jamie Gittens, Caicedo, and the electric Estêvão all drew fine saves from Mamardashvili, keeping Liverpool’s hopes of a point alive. But just when it seemed they would cling on, disaster struck in stoppage time.

‎Cucurella, who had worked tirelessly all evening, found space on the left and whipped a low cross into the box. Estêvão, timing his run perfectly, slid in at the far post to turn the ball home.

‎What This Means

‎The defeat means Liverpool head into the international break having lost back-to-back games dramatically, raising serious questions about their title credentials.

‎Their defensive lapses, midfield imbalance, and missed opportunities continue to haunt them, while Arsenal’s consistency has seen the Gunners climb to the top of the table.

‎Chelsea, on the other hand, is beginning to show the resilience and attacking maturity that fans have been wanting.