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Liverpool handed Chelsea their biggest defeat of the season at Anfield on January 31. The Reds beat the Blues 4-1 in comprehensive fashion to maintain their five-point lead at the top.
Chelsea got their only goal of the night through Christopher Nkunku, who felt saddened by the defeat.
Speaking after the game, he told the club's official website:
"We feel sad because we lost a game which we wanted to win. To concede three goals and to come back is very difficult. I think we need to work more and come back stronger for our game on Sunday. "
Nkunku added:
"I think we need to work on everything. We need to put more in every moment of the game. We need to push hard with our intensity. I think even in our character, we need to do more on the pitch to win the game. We know the stadium is difficult to play in, but we can do a lot more."
The Reds took the lead through Diogo Jota, who made the most of a lucky deflection by smartly placing the ball for the opener. They doubled their lead in the 39th minute when youngster Conor Bradley drove home a fine finish on a quick possession turnover.
They had the chance to make it 3-0 before halftime but Darwin Nunez hit the post from a penalty. Liverpool did triple their lead when Dominic Szoboszlai tucked in a strong header from a wonderful Bradley cross in the second half.
Chelsea pulled one back through Nkunku's smart finish but Liverpool restored their three-goal cushion with a Luiz Diaz strike in the 79th minute.
Christopher Nkunku wary of his recovery after two long injuries in his Chelsea debut season
Chelsea's star forward Nkunku was injured in the final match of the pre-season. He missed the first of the 2023-24 campaign with a knee injury and finally made his debut against Newcastle United in the EFL Cup quarterfinals. But his return was cut short after the player was once again sidelined with a hip injury in January.
He has now finally returned but is careful of taking his next steps.
"I came back from a big injury on my knee and after I had a little injury to my hip, but that’s normal after a long injury," he added. "I just want to stay fit, to continue to perform and help the team. Of course, it is positive to score for a striker, but I think this is not the main point tonight."
Nkunku concluded:
"I need to take it step-by-step because I don’t want another injury. I need to take care of myself also, but for sure I want to help the team and play as many games as I can."
Chelsea's next game is against Wolverhampton Wanderers on February 4 at Stamford Bridge.
