Wonder kid's moment to savour clinches it for Chelsea in another epic clash against Liverpool
- By Yann Tear at Stamford Bridge
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Premier League
Chelsea (1) 2 Caicedo 14, Estevao 95
Liverpool (0) 1 Gakpo 63
We were five minutes into seven minutes of injury time when yet another mad, pacy attack in this 100mph game saw Marc Cucurella's low cross escape everyone to reach Estevao at the far post.
The young Brazilian was only introduced as a 75th minute sub but his moment of magic settled a superb contest that got better with each passing minute. The second half was a joyous thrust and parry between two sides hell bent on securing a signature victory.
Undoubtedly, the early Premier League pace-setters Liverpool have been hauled back by successive league defeats and this Chelsea side - if they can replicate the appetite shown here - must be capable of mounting a challenge of their own for the title.
The final rapier thrust was perhaps tough on Liverpool, who played their part in a thrilling contest, but maybe the Blues had that extra little edge. They also produced the game's outstanding goal - a wonderous first-half strike from man of the match Moises Caicedo.
The sight of those red shirts of Liverpool sure get those Chelsea blues fired up.
Here was a display to elevate the mood and the ambitions for the season. Arne Slot's champions and now deposed league leaders were given quite the run around by the Stamford Bridge hosts who pressed, harried and hounded them to distraction in the first half before a more even contest broke out at the turn around..
It proved hard for the visitors to get out of their own half during that chastening first half that was crowned by a wonder strike from Caicedo - his third of the season already - as a retreating defence invited him to advance to the edge of the D before unleashing a perfect shot over Alisson's stand-in Giorgi Mamardashvili, who was making his Premier League debut.
The Blues kept working. Wanting more. When Alejandro Garnacho fell inside the area cutting outside Dominic Szoboszlai, the Blues bayed for a penalty but ref Anthony Taylor was unmoved and so was VAR. Enzo Maresca was booked for voicing his displeasure a little too forcefully. Slot would join him in Taylor's notebook in the second half.
A header just over from Alexander Isak, courtesy of a Mo Salah cross, did offer hope of a better second half for Liverpool and when Florian Wirtz entered the battle after half-time, in place of a booked Conor Bradley, who had struggled against Garnacho, those hopes increased.
The record signing from Germany was soon involved - a clever back-heel offering Salah a chance that the off-form Egyptian slammed wide when he should have done better. Not long after, a cut inside with a drop of the shoulder ended with a waft over the crossbar from Salah, as if to confirm the absence of consistency in his game right now.
The improvement did not lead to a glut of chances but we were all square just past the hour when Cody Gakpo stabbed in from close range after Isak had helped on Szoboszlai's byline cross with a deft touch.
Who was your money on then?
Jamie Gittens and Estevao both tested the Liverpool keeper and Caicedo wasn't far off target, while Fernandez headed against the outside of a post. But Szoboszlai, now playing at full-back, also got forward to roll a shot just wide as both sides went in search of a winner during this breathless encounter.
In theory it could have gone either way. Or neither way. But teenager Estevao ensured a different script was about to be written.
Blues: (4-2-3-1) Sanchez - Gusto, Acheampong (Hato 68), Badiashile (Lavia 55), Cucurella - James, Fernandez - Pedro Neto (Estevao 75), Fernandez, Garnacho (Gittens 75) - Joao Pedro (Guiu 75)
Reds: (4-2-3-1) Mamardashvili - Bradley (Wirtz h/t), Konate (Jones 545, van Dijk, Kerkez (Robertson 55) - Gravenberch, Mac Allister (Endo 86) - Salah, Szobszlai, Gakpo - Isak (Ekitike 70)
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