Late heartbreak again: Estevao’s 95th-minute strike hands Liverpool a third straight defeat

Liverpool were floored in stoppage time at Stamford Bridge, beaten 2-1 when Chelsea’s Estevao Willian slid in a 95th-minute winner. After Moises Caicedo’s early blast put the hosts ahead, Cody Gakpo’s second-half equaliser seemed to set the stage for a push to victory—only for the Reds to be stung at the last for the second successive league game.

Arne Slot’s side showed resolve after the restart but could not escape familiar problems: missed chances, defensive reshuffles, and a painful late concession. The champions’ difficult week ends with a third loss in a row in all competitions and a spot relinquished at the Premier League summit.

An uncertain start and Caicedo’s bolt from blue

Chelsea’s plan smothered Liverpool’s early rhythm. Malo Gusto stayed tight to Alexis Mac Allister in midfield, Alejandro Garnacho repeatedly ran at Conor Bradley, and on 14 minutes Caicedo punished the looseness with a ferocious strike from distance that flew past Giorgi Mamardashvili, in goal for the injured Alisson.

Liverpool had flickers before the break—Mohamed Salah picked out Alexander Isak for a header over—but too often the structure creaked. The front line’s connections faltered and clear sights of Robert Sanchez’s goal were rare.

Second-half reshuffle brings hope and parity

Slot acted decisively at half-time, introducing Florian Wirtz and moving Dominik Szoboszlai to right-back to deal with Garnacho. The effect was immediate: Wirtz sent Salah through, only for the forward to fire wide with just Sanchez to beat.

Parity arrived on 63 minutes when Szoboszlai’s deflected cross found Isak, whose heavy touch presented Gakpo with a close-range finish past Sanchez. Liverpool looked poised to kick on, yet injuries bit again as Ibrahima Konate limped off and Ryan Gravenberch dropped into defence, stretching the structure just as the contest turned end to end.

Decided at the death: one cross too many

Mamardashvili kept Liverpool alive late on, saving from substitutes Estevao and Jamie Gittens and tipping over a swerving Caicedo drive. But as the seconds drained away, Chelsea fashioned one last, fatal incision down the left.

Marc Cucurella fired a low cross to the far post, Robertson lost track for a split second and Estevao nipped in to prod home. The goal mirrored last weekend’s late collapse at Crystal Palace, compounding a pattern that Liverpool must arrest quickly.

Reset required after a bruising week

This defeat underscores recurring themes: full-back uncertainty, forced defensive changes, and forwards short of sharpness. Salah’s finishing touch deserted him, while the burgeoning understanding with Isak still needs time. Slot felt his team could go on to win after equalising, but the late-game details went against them again.

Arsenal’s win leaves Liverpool a point back at the top, and the international break arrives as a necessary pause to regroup, restore injured personnel, and rebuild the connections that powered last season’s title run.