There has been so much discussion about Chelsea’s youthful indiscipline but in the end it was one of the kids who made a 45-year-old man lose control. It was a wild finale, Liverpool run ragged, and when Estevão Willian delivered the decisive blow deep into stoppage time it was the cue for Enzo Maresca to leave his technical area, charge down the touchline and join the mass of blue shirts as they celebrated in front of the disbelieving supporters in the Matthew Harding Stand.
Liverpool were beaten, their knack for late shows turned against them for the second successive weekend, and it is unlikely that Maresca cared when Anthony Taylor showed him a second yellow card. Call it the sweetest sending off of the Italian’s managerial career. Nobody will be casting doubt over his job security now. Not after witnessing the world champions make light of a recent stumble and an extensive injury list by producing a performance of grit and style to ensure that Liverpool ended a dreadful week with their third consecutive defeat in all competitions.
If it feels premature to call it a crisis, it is certainly true that Liverpool must act quickly to reverse their slump. The response to looking up rather than down for the first time under Arne Slot will be fascinating. Do the champions rally after losing top spot to Arsenal or do they fall into a decline reminiscent of Manchester City’s struggles last season?
