There was plenty of incident at Anfield as Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-1 in a game beset by stoppages, questionable decisions and emotional reactions both on and off the pitch.
Curtis Jones was the hero as Liverpool maintained their one-point advantage over Man City at the top of the Premier League.
His goal and exceptional midfield display helped push the Reds on to a statement win that many are seeing as a declaration of their title intentions.
That may be somewhat premature given the difficulty of Liverpool’s upcoming fixtures, but what we can be sure of is that the Reds are up for the fight.
Amid the second-half fracas, there was plenty going on that you may have missed, but we’ve got you covered…
Arne Slot and Darwin Nunez’s reaction to foul
@skysports Those Nunez and Slot reactions ? #premierleague #nunez #liverpool ? original sound – Sky Sports
OK, so you may have seen this one already but it is definitely worth another look, especially now we can relax in the knowledge it was inconsequential to the result.
After Arne Slot had earlier been given a yellow card, he was on his best behaviour during the final stages but couldn’t contain his emotions during the last minute when Darwin Nunez was penalised for a 50-50 challenge with Renato Veiga.
The reaction from Nunez and Slot was almost comical as they tried to redirect their frustration and bemusement away from the referee.
Sipke Hulshoff guides Arne Slot away
Slot would have given it to the ref if Sipke hadn’t intervened pic.twitter.com/0BFnCjucJ8
— cash (@busymalanga) October 20, 2024
Until the weekend, Slot had cut a relatively cool character on the touchline, only occasionally showing his passion when scoring.
On Sunday, though, he couldn’t help but get caught up in his first big Anfield occasion.
Although Slot appeared to have calmed down once the three points were secured, first assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff decided it was best to guide the head coach away from referee John Brooks – a wise decision, Sipke.
Darwin Nunez was Mo Salah’s bodyguard
??? ???? pic.twitter.com/sBdSaPDpw4
— ? (@jatynwa) October 20, 2024
Having come on for the injured Diogo Jota after 30 minutes, Nunez definitely made his mark on the match despite not getting on the scoresheet.
It was probably his work off the ball at Anfield that should get the most acclaim, as he tracked back and toiled endlessly with the Chelsea backline, Benoit Badiashile especially.
At one point, it looked like Nunez might let the emotion of it all get to him, but he kept a cool-ish head and even stepped in to play peacemaker for Mo Salah at one point!
Helping to disrupt the game, this was one of our favourite moments as he humorously mocked Badiashile’s ‘bump’, not even claiming a foul while laughing on the ground.
— Nozza (@Nozza7351) October 20, 2024
This pass wasn’t bad either…
This Nunez pass pic.twitter.com/Yp4iI515KK
— 1947prod. (@1947prod) October 20, 2024
David James steals the show
At half time, some supporters were given the chance to take a penalty against David James at the Kop end.
Usually, these spot-kicks are allowed to hit the net, especially when children are taking them, but the ex-Liverpool goalkeeper was having none of it, saving this child’s first and second.
In fairness, it looked like he was trying to dive out of the way of the boy’s second effort!
Save Zoe’s Place banner on the Kop
Save Zoe’s Place ?? pic.twitter.com/StJlg6JzVM
— This Is Anfield (@thisisanfield) October 20, 2024
As you have probably seen, there is an urgent campaign on Merseyside to raise enough money to save Zoe’s Place, a centre near Melwood that provides care for babies and young children with life-limiting, life-threatening or complex conditions.
It was recently announced that the charity would need £5 million raised by the end of October to stay open in Liverpool and this has since prompted a massive amount of support.
LFC’s former players association, Forever Reds, are pledging £150,000 to help save Zoe’s Place and there was a banner on the Kop helping to spread awareness of the appeal.
If you are in a position to do so, you can help here.
