Estevao's last-minute winner sends Arsenal top of Prem

ESTEVAO’S stoppage-time winner had the Reds singing the Blues.

For the second time in a week, Arne Slot’s side were given a taste of their own medicine .

8 Moises Caicedo's thunderbolt handed Chelsea an early lead Credit: Getty

8 18-year-old Willian Estevao scored the decisive goal late on Credit: Getty

And just like Crystal Palace , Chelsea thoroughly deserved the victory.

Even before Brazilian teenager Estevao slid in the decisive goal, Enzo Maresca’s world champions had shown how fragile Liverpool’s grip on the English title was.

Maresca will not be able to give his players a lecture on discipline after becoming the fourth Chelsea star to be shown a red card in five games.

But the Italian will not care that his crazy celebration of the winner led to a second yellow card.

Liverpool are not as far ahead of Chelsea or anyone as their early-season results would have suggested. And they are now behind Arsenal .

Chelsea will take huge confidence from this display , as well as the three points.

Against a Liverpool team that could be considered full-strength, apart from the absence of goalkeeper Alisson , the injury-hit Blues  produced their best performance of the season.

No, beating West Ham 5-1 does not count.

In the first half in particular, Maresca’s men were outstanding, even allowing for the fact that their opponents were poor

When Cody Gakpo cancelled out Moises Caicedo’s first-half screamer, it seemed Liverpool might be up to their old tricks again.

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But it was Chelsea surged to the line, having a number of chances before Estevao met Marc Cucurella’s cross at the back post.

Liverpool are in a mini crisis.

The Reds have lost three games in a row for the first time since spring 2023. Never in Slot’s debut season did they taste defeat in back-to-back Premier League games.

The Reds are in a mini crisis.

Of the five changes from Liverpool’s defeat in Turkey , only Alisson’s exclusion was enforced.

And Giorgi Mamardashvili was having a tough Premier League debut even before Caicedo’s rasper.

The Georgian was nervous with the ball at his feet on a number of occasions as a half-decent start by the Reds quickly petered out.

But the goalkeeper could do nothing about the goal. Alexis Mac Allister should have done, though.

The Argentinian sold himself far too easily in the middle of his own half, allowing Caicedo to have a run.

The Liverpool defence parted like Red Sea, Moises glimpsed the promised land and pinged the ball past Mamardashvili’s despairing right arm.

Stamford Bridge erupted, and Chelsea boss Maresca urged them to maintain the volume.

8 Caicedo was Chelsea's star man in midfield in the match Credit: PA

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The visitors were rattled, losing battles all over the pitch.

At the  heart of Chelsea’s display was Malo Gusto , who was pushed forward into a midfield role and set the tone.

Chelsea and Gusto were all energy , all intent, snapping into tackles, harrying their opponents into mistakes and containing them easily.

Cucurella teed up Alejandro Garnacho for a shot that went just wide and 2-0 would not have flattered the Blues, in terms of control of the game rather than clear-cut chances.

But they did not deserve a penalty for Garnacho’s fall after a tangle with Dominik Szoboszlai . Despite Maresca’s protests, which earned him his first yellow card.

Salah, after another unconvincing half, picked out Alexander Isak with an outside of the boot cross but the Swede could not keep his header down.

Conor Bradley , booked for a foul on Cucurella, was taken off at the break to save him from a red card.

Replacement Florian Wirtz immediately created the chance which should have brought the equalser.

The German helped the ball into Salah’s path with a spin but the Egyptian missed the target badly with his much weaker, right foot.

Ryan Gravenberch could only hit a shot straight at Robert Sanchez from a decent position. Then Salah wasted another opening with a poor effort that went high and wide.

Chelsea’s injury curse struck again. Benoit Badiashile went off, leading to a reshuffle that took Malo Gusto out of the position where he had been so effective.

8 Arne Slot's men looked threatening following the equaliser Credit: Getty

Liverpool were similarly affected, with Gravenberch sent back into central defence to replace the departing Ibrahima Konate.

Back came Chelsea. Garnacho controlled a long ball brilliantly but his cross was poor. Andy Robertson blocked Pedro Neto’s goalbound header. Garnacho could not connect with Neto’s teasing back-post cross.

The equaliser came out of nothing, really. Szoboszlai was allowed to run int down the right, played a one-two with Salah and crossed.

Isak brought the ball down and it fell perfectly for Gakpo to rifle it in from close range.

Salah wasted yet another opening with a poor shot but Liverpool now had the upper hand.

The Reds screamed for a penalty when James’ hand caught Isak in the face but it was never a red card or a spotkick

Both managers rolled the dice in search of a winner.

On came Hugo Ekitike up top for Liverpool, Estevao and the lesser-spotted Marc Guiu for Chelsea.

Only a vital touch by Gravenberch stopped an Enzo Fernandez cross finding a Blue shirt.

8 Giorgi Mamardashvili could do nothing to stop Estevao's late winner Credit: Getty

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Tensions were rising. The Liverpool bench was in uproar when Gusto’s tackle on Gakpo was not given as a foul. Slot was booked.

With seven minutes left, Chelsea subs Jamie Gittens and Estevao forced Mamardashvili into two fine saves in quick succession .

Szozboszlai shot wide, Mamardashvili saved Fernandez’s header and then the Chelsea skipper headed an Estevao cross wide early in seven minutes of added time.

But the Blues were not to be denied and young Estevao sealed the victory they deserved. Maresca celebrated in fitting style.