“The most intense football is if you make a mistake and have to run in the wrong direction, as we did for their goal”.
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Diego Costa pulled one back for the hosts shortly after the hour mark, but Liverpool held firm in the face of increasing pressure to end Chelsea’s unbeaten start to the season and earn a well-deserved three points.
He told Sky Sports: “It felt like Chelsea came into the game obsessed about Liverpool and forgot about their own game”. In the second half it was a bit more hard.
Liverpool have also beaten Arsenal and champions Leicester City this season, the only blot on their league record being a surprise 2-0 defeat at promoted Burnley. On Friday’s evidence, his team are title contenders.
“I don’t want to repeat a bad season like past year”, he said.
With work to improve Anfield running into the start of the campaign, Liverpool have played just once at home so far and have already visited Arsenal, Tottenham and now Chelsea.
Liverpool comfortably saw out their second successive win at Stamford Bridge, inflicting Antonio Conte’s first competitive defeat since taking over at the Blues in the process.
Liverpool were without Roberto Firmino due to what the club said was a “minor groin strain”, but any fears they might miss the hard-working Brazilian forward were banished immediately. Chelsea dropped to third and Liverpool rose to fourth. Because this is not the first time this has happened.
Coutinho took the initiative before curling an excellent cross to the back post for an unmarked Lovren to side-foot home on the volley.
On Jordan Henderson’s goal: “It was nice, really nice”.
After Sturridge had thrashed a cross-shot across goal, Chelsea created their first real chance when Luiz’s looping header from Willian’s free-kick was fielded by Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. He accepted a clearance from Chelsea on the left side of the box, had time to sight the posts, and unleashed a dipping shot into the top right corner of the goal. We need to keep working hard. “It was well deserved”. First half we didn’t have the duels, we didn’t have the second ball, everything was for them.
The Brazil-born Spain global scored a late equaliser at Swansea and he threatened to do the same here, brilliantly gathering Oscar’s headed knock-down and lashing a shot at Mignolet.
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That new-found energy quickly fizzled out, though, and Liverpool looked risky on the counter-attack, Courtois getting down to his left to keep out a header from substitute Divock Origi in the 81st minute.
