After triumphing over a resurgent Chelsea with a 2-1 victory, Liverpool appears to be emerging as the primary contender challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title.
Liverpool’s Curtis Jones celebrates after scoring against Chelsea in the Premier League on October 20, 2024
Liverpool appears to be emerging as the primary contender for the title against Manchester City, as they secured a 2-1 victory over a resurgent Chelsea on Sunday, maintaining their position at the top of the Premier League standings.
Following a dramatic late header by John Stones that secured a 2-1 victory for City over bottom-placed Wolves, Liverpool delivered a poised display at Anfield, dealing Chelsea their initial league defeat since the start of the season.
In the wake of Arsenal’s unexpected loss to Bournemouth, questions arose regarding the Gunners’ title aspirations. Seizing the opportunity, Liverpool and City capitalized by edging ahead in the standings. Arne Slot’s squad currently sits at the pinnacle with 21 points from eight matches, narrowly leading City by one point and maintaining a four-point gap over Arsenal.
Liverpool secured a victory thanks to Curtis Jones, who not only won a penalty for Mohamed Salah to score in the first half but also found the back of the net himself to regain the lead for the home team in the 51st minute, just after Nicolas Jackson had leveled the score for Chelsea.
In the first half, Jones believed he deserved another penalty just before the break, however, VAR intervened and ruled that Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez, had made contact with the ball before colliding with the Liverpool player.
He rounded off a remarkable display by outsmarting the offside trap, latching onto Salah’s delivery into the box, and calmly putting away the decisive goal.
Jones mentioned that he initiated the run the moment Mo received the ball, but due to a bounce, he needed to take a touch before successfully scoring.
Liverpool, under Jurgen Klopp’s management, was the preceding team to clinch the title before City in 2019-20. They consistently challenged Pep Guardiola’s squad, finishing fifth two seasons ago and securing a distant third place last season.
In his inaugural season at the helm, Slot has revitalized the Reds, positioning them as formidable contenders once more, securing victories in 10 out of 11 matches across various competitions.
City’s form seems less formidable, as they relied on Stones’ late goal once again to prevent their third draw in four league matches against a Wolves side with only one point to their name.
A VAR intervention was required for the goal to be validated, prompting referee Chris Kavanagh to consult the sideline monitor. The review aimed to determine if Bernardo Silva’s presence from an offside position affected goalkeeper Jose Sa.
Guardiola, whose team has clinched four consecutive league titles by consistently dominating their opponents, expressed, “Emerging victorious in matches at the final whistle is unfamiliar territory for us, but it brings a pleasant taste.
City’s unbeaten streak was further extended to a record-breaking 31 league games, surpassing the previous mark set by Guardiola’s team back in 2018.
City’s defenders stepped up to score as Erling Haaland, the prolific striker, remained without a goal for the third consecutive league match. This came after Jorgen Strand Larsen had initially put the hosts ahead surprisingly in the seventh minute.
In the 33rd minute, Josko Gvardiol beautifully converted a right-footed shot from beyond the box to level the score. Despite City’s relentless attacking efforts, Wolves stood firm until Stones’ timely intervention, reminiscent of his dramatic stoppage-time equalizer against Arsenal last month.
Stones remarked that such moments are rare for them, mentioning that they have had a few over the years, with today being one of them.
