Liverpool vs Chelsea chaos live: Jota, Núñez & VAR drama rock Anfield
04.02.2026 - 09:13:55
Liverpool vs Chelsea – Anfield turns into a storm
This one was billed as a heavyweight clash and it played out exactly like that. From the first whistle, Liverpool pressed like they’d been personally insulted in training. The opening goal came from Diogo Jota, who danced through two defenders and squeezed a low finish past the keeper. That’s Jota at his best – ruthless, direct, ice-cold.
Then came the chaos. Darwin Núñez, the walking definition of drama, rattled the woodwork not once, not twice, but three times. First a thunderous right-footed drive off the bar, then a looping header off the post, and finally a long-range rocket smashing the underside of the crossbar. The crowd couldn’t believe he wasn’t on the scoresheet already, but he refused to slow down.
The second Liverpool goal finally arrived after another wave of pressure. Mohamed Salah, drifting inside from the right, slid a perfect through ball into Núñez. This time, the Uruguayan kept his head, opening up his body and slotting into the far corner. Goal Núñez. Anfield erupted, and you could feel Chelsea wobble.
Chelsea hit back – Palmer steps up
Chelsea weren’t totally dead, though. Cole Palmer, easily their brightest spark, pulled one back with a calm penalty after a clumsy challenge in the box. Straight run-up, keeper sent the wrong way, ball buried. Palmer’s technical quality is real – even in a hostile atmosphere he looked like the one Chelsea player truly in control of his game.
But as the match went on, the contrast between the two squads was brutal. Liverpool’s big names showed up; Chelsea’s, for the most part, didn’t. Palmer tried, Raheem Sterling faded, and the midfield kept losing runners as Liverpool surged forward again and again.
VAR controversy – the moment everyone’s arguing about
The flashpoint came midway through the second half. Chelsea thought they’d found a lifeline when Sterling tapped in from close range after a low cross skidded across the six-yard box. The away end exploded – for about 40 seconds.
Then the dreaded check: VAR review for offside. Replays showed a razor-thin margin on the initial run in behind. Lines drawn, angles checked, fans booing, players pacing. Finally the decision: goal disallowed. The Liverpool end roared with relief; Chelsea players surrounded the referee. On social media, the meltdown began instantly – frames, screenshots, freeze images of Sterling’s boot vs the last defender. That’s your hot topic for the night.
Star power report – heroes & flops
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – No tap-in goal today but still massive. One assist for Núñez, constant threat, dragged defenders out of position all game. His vision between the lines basically killed Chelsea’s shape.
- Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) – Chaos merchant turned match-winner. One decisive goal, three times denied by the woodwork. On another night he walks off with the match ball. His intensity off the ball set the tone.
- Diogo Jota (Liverpool) – Opened the scoring with that sharp solo effort, pressed like a demon, dropped into pockets, linked play. Big-game player written all over him.
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea) – Scored the penalty, created their best moments, but felt like a one-man show up front. He’s carrying a lot of weight in that attack.
- Raheem Sterling (Chelsea) – Had the "goal" that was ruled out by VAR, but outside of that, not enough impact. When Chelsea needed a senior figure to grab the game, he drifted.
Title race tremor – where this leaves the table
That Liverpool win doesn’t just look good on the highlights reel – it punches straight into the heart of the Premier League title battle. Three points here keep Liverpool right up there with the other contenders, cranking up the pressure on every rival game this weekend. Chelsea, meanwhile, slide further away from the Champions League spots and are looking more like a work-in-progress than a finished product.
The gap between the top four and the chasing pack is tightening and stretching at the same time – a couple of results swing and everything changes. But as of tonight, Liverpool have thrown down a serious marker.
What does this mean for the title race? Click here for the live standings
Other key football results today
Across Europe, the football results today kept the drama flowing. In the Champions League chasers’ battles and domestic league scraps, forwards and centre-backs were writing their own stories.
In another Premier League clash, a top-four hopeful ground out a narrow win with a set-piece special – centre-back towering over everyone to head home after a wicked in-swinging corner. The goals came from the big man at the back and a late counterattack finished off by a winger sprinting the length of the pitch. On the other side, the opposition’s main striker, usually clinical, couldn’t find the net and sliced their best chance over the bar.
Over on the continent, title challengers in one of Europe’s big five leagues needed their superstar forward to bail them out. He delivered with a brace – one darting run in behind finished low across the keeper, the other a smashed penalty high into the roof of the net. Defensively they were shaky, conceding to a back-post header, but when you’ve got a world-class number 9, you always feel like the game is never really lost.
Social Media Spotlight – VAR rage & celebration spam
If you jump online right now, it’s all Anfield, all night. The official hashtag spinning around is #LIVCHE, and it’s pure chaos: Liverpool fans posting Núñez woodwork compilations and Salah passes on loop, Chelsea fans posting freeze-frames of that offside call until their phones overheat.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans raging over the VAR offside that killed Chelsea's comeback hope
Reporter's take – no filters
Honestly, this felt like one of those nights where you see exactly who’s built for a title fight and who’s still pretending. Liverpool looked like a machine: aggressive, confident, with their big names turning up in the clutch moments. Jota and Núñez didn’t just score – they set the whole tempo of the game with their movement and pressing. Salah, even without a trademark curling goal, controlled the rhythm like a veteran puppet master.
Chelsea, on the other hand, are stuck in identity crisis mode. Palmer is clearly elite-level talent, but if he’s the only one consistently carrying danger, it’s never going to be enough against the top sides. The disallowed Sterling goal will be the clip that does numbers online, but zoom out and the bigger issue is structure and mentality. You can’t rely on fine VAR margins to fix your game plan.
In my opinion, this kind of result puts real heat on the Chelsea setup – from the manager’s tactics to recruitment. You can’t keep calling it a project forever while teams like Liverpool are out there playing like a finished product.
Closing whistle – where we go from here
The floodlights are off, the chants are still echoing, and the debate is just getting started. Today’s football results have twisted the title race, cranked up the pressure on the chasing pack, and given social media enough VAR fuel to last all week.
If you want to see exactly how much damage or glory tonight’s matches have done, the live table says it all.
Check full stats & standings now
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