Marc Cucurella set up Chelsea’s winning goal against Liverpool and has revealed the Londoners deliberately looked to exploit Mohamed Salah at Stamford BridgeArne Slot looks on prior to the Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford BridgeArne Slot looks on prior to the Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge(Image: 2025 Liverpool FC)

Marc Cucurella has revealed that Chelsea deliberately looked to exploit Mohamed Salah during Liverpool’s loss to the Londoners on Saturday. The Spaniard set up the last-minute winner for Estevao as Arne Slot’s side fell to a third successive defeat.

The Reds were once again not at their best, with Mohamed Salah enduring a frustrating evening in front of goal.Yet they had looked to rescue a share of the spoils after Cody Gakpo cancelled out Moises Caicedo’s opener, only to come unstuck following a stoppage-time winner for the second weekend running after last Saturday’s loss at Crystal Palace.

Salah, who boasts three goals and three assists so far this season from 10 appearances, has come under-fire in some sections, prompting Slot to defend the Egyptian after the final whistle at Stamford Bridge.

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But Cucurella has revealed that Chelsea did actually look to target the Liverpool forward and take advantage of the space he leaves defensively on the Reds’ right-hand side, with their winning goal coming from the Spaniard getting in down that flank.

“I think we deserve it,” Cucurella told Sky Sports. “We started the game very well and then the second half we started not in the right way again – we need to improve these things. But in general I think we deserve this win…

“We know that Salah is always ready for the counter-attack so we practiced that and the manager said that the space might be there [on the right side of Liverpool].

“We saw that it was the last minute but we kept attacking. I tried to give my last effort and Enzo gave me the ball and I crossed for Estevao.”

While Cucurella name-checked Salah, Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney pointed out how Chelsea also looked to exploit Conor Bradley on that flank before he was withdrawn at half-time.

“It’s a clear problem Liverpool have got in the right back area,’ he said on Match of the Day. “Conor Bradley has come off twice at half-time in the last two league games.

“They’ve tried Dominik Szoboszlai but it hasn’t really worked for him. Jeremie Frimpong was on the bench today but didn’t get on so they’ve tried three right-backs in seven league games.

“Chelsea have seen that and exploited it. The Liverpool back-four were all over the place at times, there were warning signs early on.

“Bradley got a yellow card and I’m sure that was a big factor in him getting subbed off at half-time. It was a big problem for Liverpool today as it has been all season.”

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Slot would confirm that Bradley’s withdrawal at half-time for Wirtz was because of his yellow card.

“Most of the times I’ve changed the full-backs it’s mainly down to them being on a yellow,” he explained. “So again today, Conor Bradley was on a yellow card.

“Made a second foul, if you can call that a foul. Players were asking for yellow again. So then you wonder if that is then smart to keep him on the pitch.

“We also then needed Florian to come into the game. And by doing that I could play Dom as right full-back.”