Liverpool 1-2

Independent;

Chelsea 1 Liverpool 2:

Klopp's men emerge from the capital with another three points to continue impressive start to the new Premier League

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Not many teams will out-run Antonio Conte’s Chelsea this season but, on this evidence, not many will finish ahead of Liverpool in the Premier League either. This was their third league win and, after putting four past both Arsenal and Leicester City, their third big scalp. They should have beaten Tottenham Hotspur too, which is why, five games in and in fourth place, they already look like a very serious team.

This was a draining game under lights, a game that took every last joule of Liverpool energy to win. They controlled most of it, including a dominant first-half performance when they made Chelsea look unusually slow, soft and unable to get a foothold in the game. It was in that first half when Liverpool scored both of their goals, one routine from Dejan Lovren, one brilliant from Jordan Henderson.

Both Liverpool goals, though, came from Chelsea defensive mistakes, from breakdowns of clearing and marking. This was partly just bad play, and the effect of the absence of John Terry in the heart of this team. But these were forced errors, things that teams do when they have been run into the ground by vigorous opposition.

This is the effect that Liverpool can have on teams. They were not at their absolute best here, without Emre Can and Roberto Firmino, the two players Klopp rates ahead of any others for their ability to put his instructions into practice. But even then Liverpool were still ferocious, just so physically strong and committed to Klopp’s plans. The first anniversary of his taking over at Liverpool is not for another few weeks, but in this league he is a relative long-termer.

One year from now Conte would surely like Chelsea to be able to play something like that, closing down the opposition, snapping into tackles and breaking forward in numbers. But this was only his fifth Premier League game, and his first defeat, since taking over. He only had two new signings, Ngolo Kante and David Luiz, on the pitch. His team cannot be expected to play proper Conte football, as played by Juventus or Italy yet. Too many teams this season they have looked like enthusiastic runners but not much more than that, unable to create too many real chances against a more unified team.

This felt from the start like a very modern game, a model of what Premier League football is like now, with enough pressing and running to exhaust anyone sat in front of a television. What was obvious very quickly was that Liverpool are better at it. They pushed up and forced Chelsea back, they kept the ball with quality and there was very little for Chelsea to do but try to rush on the break.

Chelsea were rattled and with John Terry out injured there was no-one for their defence to cohere around. This was David Luiz’s second debut, and while he has played alongside these team-mates before, it was more than two years ago, and it showed. Chelsea got their marking completely wrong when Philippe Coutinho swung a right-footed cross into the box. Liverpool somehow had three men over at the far post, and the furthest of them, Dejan Lovren, put the ball into the net.

That goal was routine but the second was spectacular, a further reward for Liverpool’s pressure and ambition. Gary Cahill skewed a weak clearance to Jordan Henderson, 30 yards from goal. Before a blue shirt could stop him he angled a dipping shot into the far top corner for the net, above Thibaut Courtois’ hands but just under the bar.

Liverpool had the game exactly where they wanted it. at the start of the second half they were knocking the ball around so casually that their noisy fans were singing about how easy it all was. All they had to do was to defend properly, but just when they looked secure, they allowed themselves to be opened up. Nemanja Matic darted down to the by-line, skipped past Joel Matip and cut the ball back to Diego Costa, who scored his fifth goal of the season.

Suddenly the atmosphere switched and Chelsea had their moment to get back into the game. They were playing more direct, more purposeful football and within minutes Costa should have had another, but shot at Simon Mignolet.

That, looking back, was Chelsea’s moment, and it soon started to fate. Liverpool recovered their composure, kept the ball, and Divock Origi forced Courtois to save his header well.  It was only after that save, with seven minutes left, that Conte turned to his bench. He had left it unusually unused up to that point. Victor Moses, Cesc Fabregas and Pedro all came on, hoping to provide the pace and spark that had been missing from Chelsea’s play.

But it was too late for Chelsea, who had allowed Liverpool to take back control of the game. They threw the ball forward but with no success. Liverpool were tired but strong enough to hold on.  They may still be a team in development, but they are a lot further progressed than Chelsea.

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Guardian:

Chelsea 1 - 2 Liverpool
Jordan Henderson’s sumptuous strike helps Liverpool to win at Chelsea

Dominic Fifield

A statement of intent was delivered here, but it was not offered up by Chelsea. Liverpool, for the second season in succession, have prevailed in this corner of south-west London to cast the locals into grisly retrospection and condemn the new regime to their first defeat. Jürgen Klopp’s wild celebrations on the final whistle reflected the psychological significance of this win. These teams are now level on points below Manchester City but, on this evidence, it is the side from Merseyside who have the more realistic aspirations to contend for the title.

For all that Diego Costa offered the hosts hope of recovery, Klopp’s charges were always the slicker, more coherent team. Their wave of first-half attacks had left Chelsea, a side braced for the onslaught, wounded and wheezing.

There was resilience when required late on to choke any hope of a proper comeback, efforts epitomised by James Milner’s gargantuan display from left-back, even if the management still seemed jittery in the technical area. Liverpool have now claimed seven points from trips to Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea this season and thumped four past the champions, Leicester City. That renders the defeat at Burnley all the more perplexing but this is clearly a team on the rise.

It is their bite which all-comers will start to fear. Even without Roberto Firmino, who was resting a slight groin complaint, they were irrepressible for long periods up to the break and menacing on the counter-attack once Chelsea had over committed themselves in desperate pursuit of an equaliser.

Klopp’s players have already developed that instinctive awareness of each other’s intentions in possession, team-mates darting into space on the gallop to be found with incisive passes. Opponents are beaten as much by speed of thought, though the accuracy and pace of the passing still takes the breath away. “We played football like hell,” said Klopp. Chelsea were simply scorched.
Philippe Coutinho, reintegrated here, is such a pinpoint provider, and Sadio Mané’s aggression and sheer speed across the turf leaves opponents diminished.

Chelsea, with their own rejigged rearguard incorporating the returning David Luiz for the first time, were left dizzied by the rapidity of the attacks. Even N’Golo Kanté could not cope at times and, given his impact for Leicester and Chelsea over 13 months in England, that says it all. “It’s not about ‘intensity’,” said Klopp. “It’s about finding a solution for the opponent. In the first half we had the ball, so it was about movement, playing simple football. The intensity comes when you make a mistake, as we did for their goal, and have to recover. We have to improve but we don’t run like crazy all the time.”

Frenetic, after all, would have implied imprecision.They prospered while the home side dawdled. The struggling Branislav Ivanovic’s crude, albeit unsanctioned, challenge on Georginio Wijnaldum near the touchline earned a free-kick just after the quarter-hour with Coutinho exchanging passes with Milner. Their interplay seemed innocuous enough but it served to disorient a quartet of Chelsea players in the penalty area.

While they ball-watched without an opponent close, only David Luiz and Gary Cahill seemed to sense the danger as three Liverpool players loitered at the far post. Coutinho’s delivery was whipped deliciously over the clutter and, while Daniel Sturridge retreated from an offside position, Dejan Lovren was onside to guide his finish back and across the exposed Thibaut Courtois.

He would be beaten again before the half was out, a throw-in opening up his defence even if Adam Lallana’s touch presented Cahill with the loose ball. Yet the centre-half scuffed his clearance to Jordan Henderson, 25 yards out, whose first touch was magnificent. His second was better, curling a searing shot which dipped beyond the despairing Courtois. This team have kept one clean sheet here in the Premier League all calendar year. “The goals we concede are strange,” bemoaned Antonio Conte after his first defeat as manager. “We must feel the danger and, today, we didn’t. We have to reflect a lot on this match because it is important to understand the situation if we don’t want to repeat another bad season like last year. We don’t feel the danger. Never.”

There was more urgency to their approach after the break as they desperately sought to coax Costa into the game.The Spain forward did well to adjust his body shape and poke a riposte through Milner on the goalline from Nemanja Matic’s cut-back after three Liverpool players overcommitted in the buildup but once Simon Mignolet had thwarted Costa again, the pursuit petered out.

Divock Origi came closest to scoring the evening’s fourth, only for Courtois to summon a fine save, but too many Chelsea players lapsed into the bad habits of last season. Maybe John Terry’s organisational skills were missed but, while David Luiz was hardly at fault, too many others are error-prone or anonymous when it really mattered.

Where Conte had been spared at Watford by his substitutes, the trio of replacements were flung on too late here to make a proper impact with Michy Batshuayi not required at all. The Italian offered his hand to his opposite number at the end but was left waiting forlornly while Klopp celebrated with his players.

Chelsea’s unbeaten record has gone, shattered by the first fellow contender this team have confronted.

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Telegraph:

Chelsea 1 Liverpool 2: Jordan Henderson wonder strike earns Jurgen Klopp's side deserved victory

Sam Wallace

Jürgen Klopp was among his Liverpool players on the pitch at the end, hugging and headlocking and chest-bumping and hugging some more, in acknowledgement of the kind of performance that sets a very high standard for the rest of this season.

He has won at Stamford Bridge before, of course, last year in the dog-days of the Jose Mourinho regime, but this was one different. This was Klopp’s new Liverpool pressing the lives out of their opposition, rattling them in the first half with their intensity and then battling Chelsea at the end when Diego Costa had cut the lead and the home side went all out for the equaliser.

As Klopp embraced staff and players, Antonio Conte waited moodily in the tunnel to shake the hand of his opposite number before giving up and heading back for the refuge of the dressing room. A dark suit, and a dark mood for a man with a phobia of losing but one who had seen his team out-played in the first half and forever chasing the game after the break.

Liverpool have beaten Arsenal, Leicester City and Chelsea now, and taken a point away at Tottenham Hotspur, the only blot on the record being that defeat to Burnley. More importantly for Klopp they are playing what he described in the sweet afterglow of victory as “football like hell” and he meant it in a good way, a high-intensity tornado style.

This is the new season when legs are still fresh and hearts still willing and Klopp’s high-tempo game ran Chelsea into the ground, scoring two goals before the break. The second was a once-in-a-lifetime hit from Jordan Henderson a great swooping 25-yarder, “wonderful” his manager described it, and seemed to confirm to Liverpool that this warm Friday night was their night.

As for Conte, the first half in particular was the kind of experience that Jose Mourinho went through more times than he would care to remember in the dismal opening months of last season. This time it was Conte’s turn to contemplate what a struggling Chelsea team looks like at Stamford Bridge, and it was not like they could blame it on the returning David Luiz.

Chelsea were sluggish in the first half and although they improved after the break they left themselves with too much to do. Oscar and Nemanja Matic scarcely affected the game in the first 45 minutes and for the most part Eden Hazard was just a distant presence prowling up and down the left touchline, wondering when he was going to be allowed to join in.

Conte waited until 70 minutes to make his first change, and then made three all at once bringing on Cesc Fabregas, Pedro and Victor Moses but not his second striker Michy Batshuayi. Roman Abramovich was in the house for this defeat and that always makes it worse for any Chelsea manager who loses at home.

There was a gloom around Conte afterwards, and a dark warning that Chelsea could not afford to slip back into the old ways that caused last season to be such a catastrophe. His first defeat in his new job hit him hard and he was unequivocal that if his team were to live up to the high expectations of the club then they would have to be ready to concentrate for every minute of every game.

Luiz was reintroduced beforehand to the home crowd for his second spell at the club, a low-key return but it did at least evoke a bit more enthusiasm from the home crowd than the introduction of Marcos Alonso who only had a place on the bench. Luiz was not at fault alone for the first Liverpool goal although it hardly inspired confidence in any of the Chelsea defence. 

Liverpool were without Roberto Firmino who did not travel with the squad when Klopp assessed a groin strain in training as too much of a risk. Nevertheless, they were dominant in midfield and, as Manchester City did last weekend, showed that those teams confident enough to press opposition high up the pitch are certainly having the best of these early weeks.

The first Liverpool goal was of the soft kind that Conte must hate most of all. Philippe Coutinho took a short free-kick to James Milner, got the ball back on the left wing and swept the ball to the back post where approximately four red shirts were unmarked and Dejan Lovren steered his first Premier League goal for the club past Thibaut Courtois’ right hand.
Most of the Chelsea defenders had headed to the near post as the ball went back to Coutinho and Lovren was one of a group of red shirts at the back post.

It jolted Chelsea’s confidence and it was not for another ten minutes that they got a foothold in the game. Of all the Chelsea players it was N’Golo Kante who got closest to imposing some order on the game for the home side, and he has quickly become a critical figure in his team, but at the other end nothing was sticking. Costa could barely get more than one touch on the ball and Willian was isolated on the opposite side to Hazard.

The second goal was a major blow and although it was one of those perfect strikes, there were still things that Chelsea did wrong. It was a weak clearance from Gary Cahill that fell to Henderson around 25 yards out. The Liverpool captain’s shot beat Courtois with its flight rather than its power and the Chelsea goalkeeper had just not got back into position quick enough from the original attack.

Ivanovic, who had conceded the free-kick for the first goal, looked badly off the pace, especially just before the hour when he lingered on the ball and Coutinho pinched it. Before then Klopp had replaced Sturridge with Divock Origi when it looked like the Englishman was struggling to sprint.

Chelsea finally broke through just after the hour. Matic picked the ball up from Kante, spread it wide to Hazard on the left and carried on his run through the inside left channel. The Serb got the return and headed for the byline, slipping past the cautious challenges of Joel Matip and Adam Lallana.
Once there, Matic lifted a ball back into the path of Costa who crashed it in from close range but they never looked close to an equaliser.

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Mail:

Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool: Jordan Henderson 30-yard screamer ends Antonio Conte's unbeaten start as Reds enjoy more capital gains

By MARTIN SAMUEL FOR THE DAILY MAIL

The ball dipped viciously into the top right-hand corner, just out of Thibaut Courtois’ reach, from all of 30 yards. ‘Boom,’ shouted Jurgen Klopp, vaulting up and out of Liverpool’s dug-out. ‘Boom! Boom! Boom!’

With each exclamation, he pumped the air with his fists. Since he took over, Liverpool have scored 15 goals from outside the penalty box, five more than any other Premier League club. The one scored by Jordan Henderson at Chelsea, however, was without doubt the most explosive of Klopp’s reign.
Even the man Henderson succeeded as Liverpool captain, Steven Gerrard, would have been proud of it. Yes, that good. Boom, indeed.

This being Liverpool, of course, boom can often be followed by bust, and for a period it looked as if it would be that way again at Stamford Bridge. Trailing by two at half-time, Chelsea came out a different team and pulled a goal back on the hour. At that point the game looked to be turning on its head.

As anonymous as Diego Costa had been in the first half, so he was dangerous in the second. As superb as Joel Matip had been containing him early on, so Liverpool’s centre-half drew the ire of Klopp by going to ground too easily when Chelsea scored.

Yet Liverpool held. They defended well. Chelsea’s storm blew out. Antonio Conte made a triple substitution with roughly 10 minutes remaining but it had little effect. Eden Hazard was brought down on the edge of the area in injury time by Lucas, and David Luiz hovered over the ball menacingly.

He was overruled by Cesc Fabregas, though, who buried his shot, as tame as tame could be, in the midriffs of the Liverpool wall. If he was trying to find a way back into Conte’s affections having been frozen out of the starting line-up, it was no way to go about it.

Chelsea’s goal was a rare beacon of light on a troubling night for the Londoners and a significant upgrade on anything that had gone before. A long passing move was brought to the boil by Hazard putting Nemanja Matic in, his run taking him past Matip and finally Adam Lallana, cutting the ball back for Costa to prod into the net, avoiding a desperate James Milner on the line.

Soon after, Costa pounced on a header from Oscar, but struck his shot at goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. It was Chelsea’s last significant chance of the night, meaning Liverpool draw level with them on points, despite the incongruous defeat at Burnley. That result is now overshadowed by impressive away wins at Arsenal and now here.

This match was one of role reversal. Liverpool appear to be a gathering force, while Chelsea have lost early momentum, and now a first game under Conte. This was his first defeat at home since losing by the same margin to Sampdoria, when manager of Juventus in January 2013. What will worry Chelsea’s new coach more is that he can have no complaints. Sure, Henderson won’t score boomers from 30 yards every week — but, have no doubt, the best team won. For their total domination of the first half alone, Liverpool deserved three points.

Those 45 minutes revealed the complete folly of Chelsea’s plan for John Terry at the end of last season. Conte saved him, the new manager insisting Terry still had a big part to play in defence, even if he is not the same force as 10 years ago. Still, here was the Chelsea that the executive management seemed to favour; Chelsea without Terry at the heart of the back four. And it was Chelsea, reduced.

Terry was injured, not dropped, or rested, and in his place came the newest recruit — Luiz, returning to the club for £32million, having been sold for £50m by Jose Mourinho two years ago. Luiz received a hero’s welcome and even shed blood for the cause. He was certainly not the reason Chelsea lost, but is no Terry in terms of organisation. Neither is his partner Gary Cahill, who rarely looks the same force when Terry is not around — and Liverpool took full advantage of this uncertainty, even without Klopp’s first-choice striker, Roberto Firmino.

In his place, Daniel Sturridge, recently seen looked hatchet-faced at White Hart Lane, but happier last night and in the thick of the action against his old club after just two minutes, almost embarrassing Courtois. Philippe Coutinho played the ball to Sadio Mane and he fed Sturridge who curled in a shot that squirmed out of Courtois’ hands, and was only gathered at the second attempt as it trickled towards the goal-line.

In Terry’s absence, Branislav Ivanovic captained the side, and there lies another problem. Terry has been rash on occasions in his career, yet Ivanovic’s antics in the eighth minute were simply bizarre. He fouled Lallana, conceding a free-kick, and then stood on his foot, a sneaky act that could have had serious consequences had the Liverpool man made a big deal of it, or referee Martin Atkinson been more attentive. Why would a captain do that? What was to be gained? Where was the balance of risk and reward? It was foolish in the extreme, and another needless foul in the 17th minute proved fatal.
Ivanovic upended Georginio Wijnaldum on the flank and conceded a free-kick. Coutinho and Milner decided to work on angles, taking it short and exchanging passes before the Brazilian whipped in a cross to the far post.

And what have we here? Liverpool players queueing up. Metaphorically, yes. But literally, too. One behind the other, like big red buses in rush hour, unable to pull away until the first one goes. The ball could have fallen to any of them, really, but it reached Dejan Lovren, who met it on the volley, leaving Courtois no chance. Where was Chelsea’s defence? Who allowed such a numeric overload? Who was in charge, who was giving orders? The man who would typically issue them was sat in the stand. His colleagues might as well have been.

The chaos continued. Luiz jumped with the much shorter Mane but succeeded only in heading the back of his opponent’s skull and disappeared briefly while the blood was stemmed. Then a Chelsea counter-attack ended in a Liverpool throw, quickly taken, affording a break down the left by Sturridge. A bamboozling flurry of stepovers and feints and he rammed a low pass across the face of goal. One touch, from any player, was probably all it needed.

By now, though, Chelsea’s defenders were helping Liverpool create chances, too. Cahill set up Henderson’s boom moment, clearing weakly after Milner had overrun the ball. Henderson had already tried one from range after 13 minutes that sailed tamely over the bar. This could not have been more different.

He struck it early, watching as the ball dipped perfectly under the join between bar and goalpost. It could not have been guided more perfectly had NASA been at the controls. A real Basil Brush of a goal. You remember Basil Brush, don’t you? Boom boom!

Chelsea: Courtois 6.5, Ivanovic 5, Cahill 5.5, Luiz 5.5, Azpilicueta 5.5, Kante 6, Matic 6.5 (Fabregas 6), Willian 6.5 (Moses 6), Oscar 5 (Pedro 6), Hazard 6.5, Costa 6.5.
Subs: Begovic, Alonso, Batshuayi, Aina.
Booked: Willian
Goals: Costa 61'

Liverpool: Mignolet 6, Clyne 7, Matip 8, Lovren 7.5, Milner 7, Lallana 7.5, Henderson 8.5, Wijnaldum 7 (Stewart 6), Mane 7, Coutinho 7 (Lucas 6), Sturridge 6.5 (Origi 6).
Subs: Karius, Grujic, Moreno, Oviemuno Ejaria.
Goals: Lovren 17', Henderson 36'

Referee: Martin Atkinson 6.5
Attendance: 41, 514
MOM: Henderson

* Ratings by SAMI MOKBEL

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Mirror:

Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool: Henderson stunner sends Reds on way to massive win - 5 things we learned

BY DARREN LEWIS

The Reds skipped scored a stunning long-range strike to put his side 2-0 up before Diego Costa's late consolation
Liverpool picked up an excellent win at Stamford Bridge thanks to Jordan Henderson's stunning strike.

Dejan Lovren has given the Reds an early lead over Chelsea before their skipper made it 2-0 with an unstoppable long-range effort.
Henderson picked the ball up from deep before curling a fine strike beyond Thibaut Courtois.

Diego Costa gave Chelsea hope but Liverpool hung on to claim all three points and go fourth.
Here are five things we learned.

1. Reds turned into fearsome attacking outfit

Liverpool can score from anywhere.
Defenders and midfielders - Lovren and Henderson on this occasiob - are just as potent as their strike force.
They turned up with their attack formation and have now stuck four past two of last season’s top three (Leicester and Arsenal), breached the backline of the side with the joint-best defensive record last season (Spurs) and dismissed a Chelsea with with a £34million defender.
Liverpool are proving themselves to be a nightmare to play against this season.

2. Reds better with Firmino in side than Sturridge

Others may disagree and it may seem a churlish point after such an impressive display but Sturridge appeared not to be on the same wavelength as his team-mates who were like a well-oiled machine.

3. Kante is mortal

Maybe he just can’t do it all by himself.
Coutinho had time and space to sling in that delicious cross for Lovren to bury in the 17th minute.
Jordan Henderson also had the freedom of Stamford Bridge to smash home that sensational second.
The Chelsea fans cheered the late introduction of Cesc Fabregas but would he have had the legs to do the dirty work demanded by Conte?

4. Mignolet remains weak link

Never at any stage was the Belgian convincing.
At one stage he mis-controlled a back pass and slammed his attempted clearance into touch.
He was unconvincing on crosses and it will be no surprise when the injured Loris Karius takes his place in the side.

5. Costa back to his best

That’s now five goals for the Brazil-born striker who lost his way Jose Mourinho last season.
It took him until Boxing Day to score four in the Premier League last term.
He is clearly motivated again with Conte managing to get the best out of him.
If only the Chelsea boss could a) get more service to him, b) sort out his midfield and c) fix his defence.

Courtois 6 - Helpless on goals but nearly let Sturridge shot go through him.
Ivanovic 4 - Exposed once again. It is clear the Chelsea defender is coming to the end.
Cahill 5 - His clearance fell straight to Henderson. Not his best night by any means.
Luiz 5 - Showed why Chelsea sold him in the first place. So poor defensively.
Azpilicueta 6 - Was poor. Not great defensively and offered little going forward.
Kante 6 - Put in a good shift in midfield but he can’t do it all by himself.
Matic 5 - Was very poor until his run and pull back set up Costa. Needs confidence.
Willian 6 - Booked. Tried hard but it did not really happen for him. Frustrating.
Oscar 5 - Limp performances like this suggest Chelsea should bring back Fabregas.
Hazard 6 - Shows willing but if there is no-one to aim at… Better effort than most.
Costa 5 - Got very little service but scored when he finally had a chance.

SUBS
Fabregas, for Matic, 84
Moses, for Willian, 84
Pedro, for Oscar, 84

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