Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella has admitted that his team deliberately targeted a Liverpool player during their dramatic 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca’s men clinched all three points thanks to a 95th-minute winner, handing Liverpool their third straight defeat.
Chelsea took the lead in the 14th minute when Moises Caicedo fired a long-range strike past Giorgi Mamardashvili. Liverpool drew level just after the hour mark, with Cody Gakpo finishing from an Alexander Isak assist.
However, in stoppage time, Enzo Fernandez picked out Cucurella, who delivered a cross that 18-year-old Brazilian starlet Estevao converted ahead of Andrew Robertson to seal a late triumph for the Blues.
The celebrations were briefly overshadowed when Maresca was shown a second yellow card and sent off by referee Anthony Taylor. The victory lifted Chelsea to sixth place after seven matches, while Liverpool remain second—one point behind leaders Arsenal following their 2-0 win over West Ham.
Although Liverpool players such as Ibrahima Konate and Alexis Mac Allister came under fire for their performances, Cucurella revealed that Chelsea had specifically worked on exploiting another weak point in the Reds’ setup.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the Spaniard said:
> “We know that [Mohamed] Salah is always dangerous on the counterattack, so we trained for that. The manager told us there would be space there. Even though it was the last minute, we kept pushing. Enzo passed me the ball, and I crossed for Estevao.
> “We deserved this win. We started very well, though our second half wasn’t as strong—we must improve that. But overall, after some difficult weeks, this was a fantastic moment, and we’re happy to go into the break with three points.”
Liverpool’s right side has been a persistent issue this season. Conor Bradley was substituted at half-time for the second straight game, while summer signing Jeremie Frimpong has yet to secure a regular starting role.
As for Salah, the Egyptian forward has struggled to find his usual rhythm, scoring just two goals in seven Premier League appearances so far.
Liverpool will look to bounce back when they face Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday, October 19, following the international break.
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