Plus: Aston Villa stumble on the road again with draw at Bournemouth, Brighton miss captain Lewis Dunk after being suspended for trip to Chelsea, Mohammed Kudus produces another stunning display for West Ham against Crystal Palace
Klopp knows Trent is his midfield maestro
With Liverpool chasing a late winner, Jurgen Klopp raised eyebrows with his decision to bring Wataru Endo on for Ryan Gravenberch.
But the idea behind replacing a No 8 with a holding midfielder was clear. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who had already been moved into that holding role, was now free to play as an advanced midfielder.
That Klopp sought to free Alexander-Arnold from his defensive responsibilities when Liverpool needed a goal was telling. It’s now clear that, along with Mohamed Salah, the right-back is the one that makes their attack tick.
Dean Ashton, speaking on Sky Sports News, said: “It’s unfair to compare him to Steven Gerrard but Gerrard did start deep and got further up the pitch as his career went on.
“I don’t see why Trent can’t have a similar influence.”
Alexander-Arnold was unlucky to see his free-kick recorded as a Bernd Leno own goal but he ensured his name appeared on the scoresheet with a Gerrard-esque finish that secured the points as the seconds ticked down.
Klopp’s substitutions paid off. It may not be long before Alexander-Arnold’s midfield forays become a full-time assignment.
Joe Shread
Another foolish red but Chelsea’s fight encouraging
Conor Gallagher, like Reece James last week, will owe his team-mates an apology for his sending off. For the second week in a row a player wearing the Chelsea captain’s armband was dismissed but Gallagher should have stemmed his over-enthusiastic tackling after his first yellow. He left his side with a big task on their hands.