Chelsea were able to beat Liverpool by a two-goal margin in the end, but their victory was not a straightforward one.
While Enzo Maresca‘s men initially went 2-0 up, Virgil van Dijk made it a nervy end to the game after he netted for his side in the 85th minute.
Chelsea played fantastically against Liverpool for the majority of the match, but Van Dijk’s header made things very uncomfortable for them in the final minutes before Cole Palmer’s penalty restored their two-goal advantage.
At one stage, Chelsea assistant manager Willy Caballero even had to shout at the players.
Willy Caballero wanted Chelsea players running back
With things so tight in the race for Champions League qualification, Chelsea needed to beat Liverpool.
Simply put, it was a huge game, and Caballero clearly acknowledged that. In the final minutes of that important win, the 43-year-old was seen screaming at the Chelsea players, telling them to keep running back when they lose the ball.
Under Maresca, the Blues have dominated most games. It is something that Arne Slot has even talked about when discussing Chelsea.
In Slot’s post-match press conference, the Dutchman said: “Dominating ball possession at Stamford Bridge is not what many teams do over here because Chelsea are so comfortable with the ball as well.”
However, it was Liverpool who were in control of possession, leaving Chelsea needing to do a lot of running around.
They play Newcastle United next in the Premier League and will be hoping to do much less.
Enzo Maresca on atmosphere at Stamford Bridge
You could not blame Chelsea supporters for feeling anxious during the Liverpool game, but the significance of the fixture did not have an adverse effect.
It looks like it actually spurred them on, with Maresca praising them for their contribution to the victory.
“For sure, today’s environment was the best environment of the season with our fans,” the Chelsea manager was quoted as saying by Chelsea’s official website. “This is what we need every game. They were fantastic, it was so good.”
Maresca and Chelsea supporters have not always got along this term. When the team went 2-0 down to Ipswich Town last month, Stamford Bridge gave Maresca some flak. But perhaps this win against Liverpool could be a real turning point.
