At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s young prodigy Estêvão sparked jubilant celebrations with a dramatic stoppage-time goal, handing Liverpool their third straight defeat in a thrilling 2-1 victory on Saturday night.
After enduring a string of Premier League disappointments, Chelsea showcased renewed vigor and tactical innovation, culminating in a breathtaking finale that left fans ecstatic.
Marc Cucurella made a dynamic run down the left wing, delivering a precise low cross to the far post where the 18-year-old Brazilian outpaced Andy Robertson to calmly finish, igniting wild cheers throughout the stadium.
Dominating the opening half, Chelsea overwhelmed Liverpool and took the lead through a magnificent long-range effort from Moisés Caicedo. Yet, Liverpool responded when Cody Gakpo expertly converted a flick-on from Alexander Isak to level the score, putting Chelsea under pressure as the reigning champions regained momentum.
Having endured Liverpool’s resurgence, the match concluded with a goal destined to be etched in memory-especially for Madonna, who witnessed the drama from the stands-and the sight of Enzo Maresca sprinting along the sideline to celebrate with his squad.
Early on, João Pedro dropped deep from his striker role to receive the ball and delivered a beautifully weighted, though slightly overhit, pass forward to Alejandro Garnacho, highlighting Chelsea’s evolving fluidity after a period of rigid play.
The breakthrough came from Caicedo’s individual brilliance. Malo Gusto fed the Ecuadorian, who outpaced Alexis Mac Allister and, responding to the crowd’s urging, unleashed a stunning 25-yard shot that soared past debutant goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili into the top corner.
Chelsea’s lead was well-earned, and they defended it with tenacity. Reece James applied relentless pressure on Mohamed Salah during a Liverpool counterattack down the left, forcing the visitors back to their goalkeeper, a testament to Chelsea’s disciplined and aggressive pressing strategy.
A slick combination between Gusto and Cucurella set up Garnacho, who narrowly missed with a side-footed strike. Chelsea’s appeals for a penalty after Dominik Szoboszlai appeared to push Garnacho were swiftly dismissed by VAR, which instead issued a yellow card to a visibly frustrated Maresca-who would later be sent off for his exuberant celebrations following the decisive goal.