Chelsea vs. Liverpool: Score and Reaction from 2015 Premier League Match

A Philippe Coutinho brace guided Liverpool to a 3-1 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, when Christian Benteke came off the bench to add a third in Jurgen Klopp's first Premier League win.

The result casts Jose Mourinho's role as manager into further doubt after the west London giants suffered their first home league defeat to Liverpool since 2011.

The Reds were rocked early on after Ramires rose highest to put his side ahead with just four minutes on the clock, but a superb Coutinho strike in the third minute of first-half added time drew the visitors level.

Diego Costa overcame a rib injury to start for the Blues, but Benteke was deemed only fit enough for a place on Klopp's bench, as Roberto Firmino claimed his spot as the Reds frontman.

Coutinho's pair of long-range dazzlers make him the hero of the day, while Mourinho may well be cast as the villain of the pantomime, according to KICCA's Ian Stafford:

Eyebrows might have been raised by Mourinho's decision to start Ramires and John Obi Mikel in central midfield as Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic sat on the bench, but the former quickly went about justifying his place.

Ramires looked hungry as he stormed to head a Cesar Azpilicueta cross home in the opening exchanges, and football writer Jake Cohen noted the goal was a timely one for the Brazilian:

That was by far the brightest moment of Chelsea's first half, though, and the performance we saw from that point on perhaps explains the hint of complacency in this team.

The Merseysiders came to take control of possession and, in turn, the chances in front of goal. Ben McAleer of WhoScored.com illustrated just how drastically the dynamic changed:

A 1-0 lead at the break might just have given Chelsea the confidence boost they so desperately need, but that resolve was dealt a cruel blow, as Coutinho feigned and shimmied his way to equalising.

Picking the ball up on the right, the Brazil international dummied before cutting onto his left foot and curling in from long range, ending a dry spell in front of goal, per BT Sport:

It was precisely the end to the half Chelsea needed to avoid, and the second period painted a similar picture, as the Reds ran rampant in west London.

If morale was low in Mourinho's camp prior to this meeting, it became decidedly more so on Saturday, as the west London hosts stuttered, and Eden Hazard made way for Kenedy in his latest disappointing display.

Stamford Bridge was lifted to its feet when a swift spark of Oscar ingenuity saw the midfielder strip Lucas Leiva of possession and let loose from 45 yards out, but Simon Mignolet was just able to tip the effort wide.

And while Chelsea found it hard to get near Mignolet's box, Coutinho was just fine making do outside of it. In the 74th minute, he again dummied, this time onto his right foot, to dink a second past Asmir Begovic and earn the appreciation of Match of the Day's Gary Lineker:

Liverpool had never scored three at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League until Saturday's encounter, and it broke that record thanks to substitute Benteke.

Or perhaps it was more down to the glacial marking shown by Chelsea's defence, as football writer Samuel Jay C picked out soon-to-be 35-year-old John Terry as the slowest of the bunch:

Klopp's first league win in the English top flight came with all the bells and whistles, as a triumph at Stamford Bridge adds a bit of glazing to his unbeaten start at the helm.

The win sees the Merseysiders move up to seventh in the table, while Chelsea's record now sits at six defeats in their first 11 outings of the Premier League campaign.

Questions will inevitably turn to how much longer Mourinho can expect to survive in the position if something doesn't change drastically—and soon.  

Post-Match Reaction

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

As was perhaps to be expected after another incriminating loss for his team, Mourinho was short of answers in his post-match interview on Saturday.

And even that may be an understatement given the Portuguese boss was unwilling to provide detail on any questions, according to Fox Sports correspondent Daniel Garb:

BT Sport pondered whether Mourinho was preparing for his exit from the club after returning to Stamford Bridge's centre-circle after the result:

The helmsman's reaction isn't likely to go down with the Premier League powers that be any more than his previous antics this season, providing the latest twist in a tale that's getting worse by the game.