LIVERPOOL: Liverpool passed a major test of their Premier League title credentials to move back to the top of the table by beating Chelsea 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday while Manchester City snatched a controversial 2-1 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Mohamed Salah’s penalty and Curtis Jones’ winner made it 10 wins in 11 games for the Reds since Arne Slot took charge.
Nicolas Jackson briefly levelled for Chelsea in the second half, but they slipped to a first league defeat since losing to Manchester City on the opening weekend of the season.
Victory takes Liverpool one point ahead of City and four clear of Arsenal, who they face at the Emirates next weekend.
Chelsea are now seven points off the top down in sixth, but there was plenty cause for optimism for the Blues from a performance that stretched Liverpool to their limits.
Liverpool’s only defeat under Slot came to Nottingham Forest following September’s international break.
The Dutchman responded by this time leaving all of his South American internationals — Alexis Mac Allister, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez — on the bench after their exertions in recent days across the Atlantic.
The decision to hand Jones just his second league start of the season proved an inspired one as the England international won Liverpool’s penalty and scored the decisive goal.
Chelsea were fortunate still to have 11 men on the field after just six minutes when Tosin Adarabioyo hauled down Diogo Jota.
In Sunday’s earlier match, John Stones’ last-gasp goal was given after a VAR review to give the defending champions their sixth win in eight games.
Pep Guardiola’s side trailed to Jorgen Strand Larsen’s surprise opener for Wolves early in the first half.
Josko Gvardiol dragged City back on level terms before the interval and, with just seconds left in stoppage time, Stones headed the visitors to a dramatic win.
Bottom-of-the-table Wolves claimed Stones’ goal should have been disallowed for offside and interference by Bernardo Silva on goalkeeper Jose Sa.
But referee Chris Kavanagh ignored their protests after consulting the pitch side monitor.
“Of course I didn’t understand it. I don’t know the reason why the linesman did it, but Bernardo isn’t disturbing the position. Sa had the perfect vision.
The header by John Stones were magnificent,“ Guardiola said.
Wolves boss Gary O’Neil added: “I’m trying to remain calm. I have been involved in a few of those and not had many go in our favour.
“There is some grey area that can go either way and once it was like that I wasn’t confident it would go our way.”
In Saturday’s late fixture, Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season came to a shuddering halt in a shock 2-0 loss to Bournemouth that left them third in the standings.
A brilliantly-worked goal by Ryan Christie and a Justin Kluivert penalty gave Bournemouth a home win against 10-man Arsenal, with Gunners defender William Saliba shown a straight red card.
Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2024