Premier League: Halloween scare for Jose Mourinho

London: Philippe Coutinho struck twice as Liverpool won 3-1 at Chelsea on Saturday to ratchet up the pressure yet further on the Premier League champions’ beleaguered manager Jose Mourinho.

 

Ramires put the hosts ahead in the fourth minute at Stamford Bridge, but Coutinho equalised in first-half stoppage time and put Liverpool ahead with a deflected shot in the 74th minute before substitute Christian Benteke rubber-stamped Chelsea’s sixth defeat in 11 league games.

 

While visiting manager Jurgen Klopp was left to celebrate his first league win — Liverpool’s first on the road since the season’s opening weekend — it was a Halloween nightmare for Mourinho, whose job is thought to be on the line after a run of just one win in eight matches in all competitions.

 

Klopp said: “I feel it’s deserved. We worked hard, but if you want to win at Chelsea, you have to work hard.” 

Mourinho made just one change to the team eliminated from the League Cup by Stoke City in mid-week, with Cesar Azpilicueta replacing Baba Rahman, which meant that Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic remained on the bench.

 

Diego Costa passed a fitness test after bruising a rib at the Britannia Stadium and he wasted no time in making an impact. The Spain striker’s back-heel on the left-hand touchline freed Azpilicueta to cross from the left and Ramires stole in front of Alberto Moreno to celebrate his new four-year contract by heading in the opening goal. It was the kind of start that has eluded Mourinho of late and it allowed Chelsea to retreat into their own territory, but in vain.