Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca felt his facet 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 may 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 degree at first 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 advised Sky Sports activities: “We don’t prefer to lose or drop factors, however I actually favored the efficiency. We deserved one thing extra however the efficiency was good.
“We managed a lot of the recreation. We had probabilities, we had possession. We don’t prefer to lose, but when we’ve to decide on that is the way in which. The staff was courageous on and off the ball.
“I don’t assume this recreation defines the place we’re. We ready in one of the simplest ways, it labored fairly effectively. It’s important to take probabilities, however general I’m very proud of 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 stated: “Coming right here is at all times powerful. I feel we managed a lot of the recreation. They’d probabilities however we had just a few probabilities as effectively however didn’t take them.
“We’re positively shifting in the precise path. The scoreline doesn’t replicate the sport.
“If we step again and have a look at performances and what we are attempting to do, we’ve 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 method to win in what he described as their hardest recreation of the season.
The Dutchman advised BBC Match of the Day: “Many different video games have been onerous however this may need been the toughest perhaps due to the quantity of high quality gamers they’ve and the construction they’ve. We needed to battle actually onerous to get this one over the road.”
Slot felt Liverpool should 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 turned tough for us as a result of there have been just a few 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 a large 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 a minimum of you’ll want to battle after which hopefully the people could make the distinction.
“It helps if you happen to play in opposition to a Chelsea, it’s a massive recreation 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.”
