A 95th-minute winner from 18-year-old Estevao Willian secured a 2-1 victory for Chelsea against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, handing the Premier League champions their third consecutive defeat in all competitions. The Brazilian substitute turned in a Marc Cucurella cross in stoppage time to decide a fast-paced encounter. The result sees Liverpool drop to second place in the table with 15 points, one behind leaders Arsenal, while Chelsea climbs to sixth with 11 points.
Chelsea took an early lead after 12 minutes when Moises Caicedo scored with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area. The midfielder found space and sent the ball past goalkeeper Georgi Mamardashvili. Liverpool responded in the second half, with Cody Gakpo equalizing in the 63rd minute. Following a cross from Dominik Szoboszlai, a touch from Alexander Isak directed the ball into Gakpo's path for a close-range finish.
The match kept you on the edge of your seat, with Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez heading a cross from Estevao against the post, in the 90th minute. Five minutes into added time, Estevao met a low cross from Cucurella to score the winner. The goal prompted Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca to run down the touchline to celebrate with his players, an action that earned him a second yellow card and a dismissal from the referee.
After the match, Liverpool manager Arne Slot reflected on the narrow defeat. "Last week, same as this week, two difficult away games, the fine margins haven't been in our favor," he told the press. Chelsea's assistant manager, Willy Caballero, commented on Maresca's sending-off, stating, "It's something special for any manager, no manager can hold inside what they feel. Unfortunately for him he was already on a yellow. We are all human beings."
Following the loss, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk suggested that off-field events have been affecting the team's performance, referencing the death of teammate Diogo Jota earlier in the year. Speaking to the press, van Dijk said, "I told you all many times that this season is going to be very difficult for us, not just because of what's happening the pitch, but because of what happened outside of it."
