Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca felt his aspect deserved greater than a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool this afternoon.
The guests are nonetheless a piece in progress underneath the Italian however confirmed sufficient at Anfield to recommend they’ll problem for a top-four spot on the finish of the season.
Mohamed Salah’s penalty put Liverpool in entrance just for Nicolas Jackson to stage in the beginning of the second half. Parity was short-lived, although, with Curtis Jones rapidly netting what turned out to be the winner.
Defeat at Anfield.#CFC | #LIVCHE pic.twitter.com/3tRRFxqimJ
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 20, 2024
Maresca instructed Sky Sports activities: “We don’t prefer to lose or drop factors, however I actually appreciated the efficiency. We deserved one thing extra however the efficiency was good.
“We managed a lot of the sport. We had probabilities, we had possession. We don’t prefer to lose, but when now we have to decide on that is the way in which. The group was courageous on and off the ball.
“I don’t assume this sport defines the place we’re. We ready in one of the simplest ways, it labored fairly nicely. It’s important to take probabilities, however general I’m very pleased with the gamers.”
Returning James echoes Maresca
Chelsea captain Reece James made his first begin of the season at right-back after lastly regaining full health and he additionally felt Chelsea have been unfortunate to return residence empty-handed.
The England worldwide mentioned: “Coming right here is all the time robust. I believe we managed a lot of the sport. They’d probabilities however we had a number of probabilities as nicely however didn’t take them.
“We’re undoubtedly shifting in the fitting course. The scoreline doesn’t replicate the sport.
“If we step again and have a look at performances and what we are attempting to do, now we have come a great distance. It’s nonetheless early days, we haven’t been with the supervisor lengthy.”
Slot noticed it in a different way
Liverpool returned to the highest of the Premier League with the win, having been deposed by Manchester Metropolis earlier within the day.
And Arne Slot was delighted his gamers discovered a approach to win in what he described as their hardest sport of the season.
The Dutchman instructed BBC Match of the Day: “Many different video games have been onerous however this may need been the toughest possibly due to the quantity of high quality gamers they’ve and the construction they’ve. We needed to combat actually onerous to get this one over the road.”
Slot felt Liverpool must have had a second penalty when Jones was introduced down within the field however replays confirmed Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez had performed the ball first.
He added: “The sport grew to become troublesome for us as a result of there have been a number of selections for my part that didn’t go for us, probably the most essential was after we thought we had the penalty earlier than half time. To go 2-0 earlier than half-time would make an enormous distinction from 1-0. Then we conceded however we stepped up once more and scored the second.
“Within the Premier League there are such a lot of good groups so if you wish to win no less than it’s essential combat after which hopefully the people could make the distinction.
“It helps in case you play in opposition to a Chelsea, it’s a huge sport and everybody feels it. We felt it and the followers felt it as a result of they have been there for us at present.
“We confirmed up, that was a very powerful factor.”
