Daily lens
Liverpool’s title defence hit another painful setback on Satyurday as Estevao Willian’s stoppage-time strike handed Chelsea a dramatic 2–1 victory at Stamford Bridge — condemning the Premier League champions to their third consecutive defeat.
The Reds looked to have salvaged a point through Cody Gakpo’s equaliser, but Estevao’s late intervention left Arne Slot’s side stunned once again after a string of late collapses in recent weeks.
Chelsea had taken the lead in the 14th minute when Moises Caicedo unleashed a thunderous shot into the top corner following a sloppy Liverpool giveaway — a reminder of why the Ecuadorian midfielder was so coveted by the Reds before his £115m move to Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool laboured for long spells and struggled to find rhythm, with Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak both wasting chances. Slot’s side finally broke through midway into the second half when Dominik Szoboszlai’s cross found Gakpo, who poked home from close range to make it 1–1.
But as the clock ticked into stoppage time, Marc Cucurella swung in a teasing cross that Estevao Willian met with a stretched finish from a tight angle, sealing a huge win for Enzo Maresca’s men.
The dramatic finale sparked wild celebrations from Maresca, who was shown a red card after sprinting down the touchline to join his players.
The result leaves Liverpool second, one point behind Arsenal, who beat West Ham earlier in the day. Chelsea, meanwhile, climbed to sixth, easing pressure on their embattled manager after two straight defeats.
Liverpool’s slump marks a sharp contrast to their blistering start — seven wins from seven in all competitions. But defeats to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray, and now Chelsea have exposed cracks in Slot’s expensively assembled side, despite a £400 million summer spending spree.
“They’ve gone from scoring late winners to conceding late heartbreaks,” one analyst remarked — a line that might just define Liverpool’s faltering title defence so far.
