Liverpool Thrash Chelsea 1-0

Liverpool handed Chelsea their first defeat at Stamford bridge in more than 80 games with a 1-0 win over the blues yesterday. Liverpool were without Torres but his team mate Xabi Alonso provided the needed break through with a superb kick in the 10th minute.



Liverpool’s victory at Chelsea on Sunday could be a decisive moment in their quest for a long-awaited title, manager Rafael Benitez said.

An early strike by Xabi Alonso was enough to earn a 1-0 victory and put Liverpool three points clear of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League.

“They were unbeaten for a long time so it was a massive game and a big boost for the rest of the season,” Benitez told reporters after ending Chelsea’s 86-match unbeaten home league run at Stamford Bridge.

“It’s important to have shown everyone we can do it here. They have a very good, very offensive team. We were trying to win…the commitment of the players showed they wanted to win.

“If we want to stay at the top of the table we have to beat almost everyone. We have the belief, we have the mentality.”

While Benitez celebrated a first away league victory against either Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester United, his opposite number Luiz Felipe Scolari had to digest a first defeat since taking the manager’s job at Stamford Bridge.


“We did not expect the result,” the Brazilian said. “But we have to understand that Liverpool are a very good team. They didn’t play better than us but they shot one ball better than us and they won.”

Scolari said his players should shake off the disappointment of losing their long unbeaten record at home, a run stretching back to February 2004.

“It is no different losing three points at home or in Manchester or Tottenham or Liverpool, it is three points lost,” he said. “They are sad, that’s normal but it’s not the end of the world, it’s only one game.”

Scolari said he hoped Joe Cole would be fit for Wednesday’s trip to third-placed Hull City, although he said Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack would miss the trip.