STAMFORD BRIDGE, WEST LONDON // Liverpool lost just its third game of the Premier League season against Chelsea. Arne Slot’s men have already wrapped up the title, of course, and it looked like that here.
Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring almost straight away when he was left with far too much space inside the Liverpool penalty area. And while it didn’t get worse for the Reds until the second half, Jarell Quansah scored an own goal when Virgil van Dijk’s clearance crashed into the back of the net off him.
That kind of summed things up, though Van Dijk did home a late-ish consolation, only for Cole Palmer to net a third from the spot. Here are the five things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded and Slot’s changed team struggled to make much of an impact on proceedings.
Liverpool party continues
In the away end, red balloons reading “Champions 20” were held aloft before kick-off and “Champions, champions, champions” could be heard regularly coming from the Liverpool fans in attendance. It wasn’t quite the title party of this time last week but it is clear that the novelty won’t be wearing off for some time yet.
As the Liverpool substitutes, including Alexis Mac Allister, Luis Diaz, Conor Bradley and Darwin Nunez, warmed up near the section of Reds fans, each had their song loudly chanted in the first half. Then came the calls to “Hand it over, Manchester”. Liverpool was far too open on the pitch, looking like a team that had made six changes to its starting XI, but that was not troubling the traveling support.
When Alexis Mac Allister entered the field, he was left frustrated at one stage by a sloppy pass from Kostas Tsimikas. That was the story of the game: even when Van Dijk headed past Robert Sanchez late on, Chelsea didn’t need to panic. A second wasn’t coming.
Harvey Elliott chance missed
Starting their first games of the season in the Premier League, it has been a long time coming for both Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo. Arne Slot hinted at changes and then delivered them in droves — six to the starting XI in total.
Elliott made it clear again this week that he wants his future to lie with Liverpool, the team that he grew up supporting not far from Chelsea’s West London ground. Here, though, was a missed opportunity. He wasn’t that involved and the Reds’ midfield was far too open.
Endo, given a guard of honor by Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, two of the players who Liverpool missed out on before turning to the Japanese captain in the midfield overhaul of 2023, did fine but nothing more.
(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah silenced
Mohamed Salah went into the game on 46 goal involvements in the Premier League so far this season — 28 goals and 18 assists — which is only one off the record held jointly by Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole.
Bizarrely booed, given he only left Chelsea because he wasn’t able to convince Jose Mourinho that he should be given more of chance in the team, Salah was kept on a tight leash by Marc Cucurella. He never really got close to breaking another record, though it won’t be long until that happens for the Egyptian.
He was quiet here, but he has won the Premier League title. Team honors always come first.
Jarell Quansah’s mixed bag
Jarell Quansah has started a couple of times this season so far for Liverpool in the league, unlike Elliott and Endo. However, he was hooked at half-time at Ipswich Town way back on the opening day of the campaign and then played — and struggled a little, out of position — at right-back at St James’ Park against Newcastle United.
Here, Quansah did OK against the Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, who is almost exclusively offside. It was in front of him where there were too many gaps and players running from deep causing problems.
While he scored an own-goal, there was nothing that Quansah could do about it. It was Van Dijk’s clearance that just hit him before he knew what was happening.
Chelsea gets Champions League boost
While there is nothing at stake for Liverpool in the Premier League run-in with the title already wrapped up, the Reds could have quite a big influence in the only part of the table that matters now, with relegation decided too.
Having lost against Chelsea and now with Arsenal and Brighton coming up next, all three clubs are vying for various UEFA competitions next season. Even the Gunners, having lost to Bournemouth this weekend, might be looking over their shoulder.
That is none of Liverpool’s business, really, though. The Reds have earned the chance to rotate and try things. Experimentation will be the name of the game in the next few fixtures. It certainly was here.
