Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca felt his side deserved more than a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool this afternoon.
The visitors are still a work in progress under the Italian but showed enough at Anfield to suggest they will challenge for a top-four spot at the end of the season.
Mohamed Salah’s penalty put Liverpool in front only for Nicolas Jackson to level at the start of the second half. Parity was short-lived, though, with Curtis Jones quickly netting what turned out to be the winner.
Defeat at Anfield.#CFC | #LIVCHE pic.twitter.com/3tRRFxqimJ
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 20, 2024
Maresca told Sky Sports: “We don’t like to lose or drop points, but I really liked the performance. We deserved something more but the performance was good.
“We controlled most of the game. We had chances, we had possession. We don’t like to lose, but if we have to choose this is the way. The team was brave on and off the ball.
“I don’t think this game defines where we are. We prepared in the best way, it worked quite well. You have to take chances, but overall I am very happy with the players.”
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Returning James echoes Maresca
Chelsea captain Reece James made his first start of the season at right-back after finally regaining full fitness and he also felt Chelsea were unlucky to return home empty-handed.
The England international said: “Coming here is always tough. I think we controlled most of the game. They had chances but we had a few chances as well but didn’t take them.
“We are definitely moving in the right direction. The scoreline doesn’t reflect the game.
“If we step back and look at performances and what we are trying to do, we have come a long way. It is still early days, we haven’t been with the manager long.”
Slot saw it differently
Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League with the win, having been deposed by Manchester City earlier in the day.
And Arne Slot was delighted his players found a way to win in what he described as their hardest game of the season.
The Dutchman told BBC Match of the Day: “Many other games were hard but this might have been the hardest maybe because of the amount of quality players they have and the structure they have. We had to fight really hard to get this one over the line.”
Slot felt Liverpool ought to have had a second penalty when Jones was brought down in the box but replays showed Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez had played the ball first.
He added: “The game became difficult for us because there were a few decisions in my opinion that didn’t go for us, the most crucial was when we thought we had the penalty before half time. To go 2-0 before half-time would make a massive difference from 1-0. Then we conceded but we stepped up again and scored the second.
“In the Premier League there are so many good teams so if you want to win at least you need to fight and then hopefully the individuals can make the difference.
“It helps if you play against a Chelsea, it is a big game and everyone feels it. We felt it and the fans felt it because they were there for us today.
“We showed up, that was the most important thing.”
