'Play like this...' - Arne Slot pays Chelsea huge compliment after Liverpool win amid unique midfield battle 

Liverpool came through their toughest test of the campaign after beating Chelsea at Anfield - and Arne Slot knows it. 

Despite the Reds securing their sixth win in eight league games, it was far from comfortable. Enzo Maresca’s side were confident at Anfield, especially in the first half, as they imposed themselves on the Anfield crowd with a strong team effort. 

This was evident in the figures of the game; it was the least amount of shots Liverpool have had at home since 2021 with eight. It was a complete far-cry from last season as Mauricio Pochettino’s side faced 28. They also had the the most touches in Liverpool's box at Anfield in one half of football in four and a half years.

After the game, Slot paid respect to the opposition, who was clearly impressed by their front-foot approach. “If I would be a Chelsea manager, I would say if we can play like this at Anfield, we can compete for a top-four position.”

Former Liverpool targets Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia proved to be tough adversaries: Lavia in the first half and Caicedo in the second. Lavia showed plenty of poise and confidence to take the ball in deep areas against Liverpool’s press while Caicedo battled extremely hard almost single-handedly in the second half as Enzo Fernandez left him exposed.  Ryan Gravenberch in direct contact had probably his toughest game so far since taking over the deeper midfield role. Whereas previous weeks had seen him flourish, this was the first game this season he ranked less than 6.9 on SofaScore’s ratings, with a rating of 6.6 against Chelsea being fairly accurate after a spell of consistent quality. 

Fortunately, Curtis Jones emerged in a sea full of talent against a Chelsea midfield that totalled transfer fees upwards of £58m (Lavia) £105m (Fernandez) and £115m (Caicedo) with a star showing as he reminded fans of his quality in a time where Alexis Mac Allister has been the first-choice. There was always a chance he could come into the side after Mac Allister’s fitness issues - and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

His technical ability was used to a lesser extent under Jurgen Klopp whereas a slower, more technically based system under Slot looks to suit him far more - and his ability to drive, pick up the ball and be an influence in attack was evident of that. With all of the sub-plots and narratives, it was Jones who broke out as the star in a game where Chelsea proved they were further ahead in their project than many believed.