Chelsea 0 Liverpool 1

The top of the table clash saw Liverpool emerge 1-0 victors on a day that Benitez side registered their intent to put in a real title challenge.

Chelsea, on the other hand, will reflect on a day when chances they created were few and far between and Luiz Felipe Scolari may realise that winning this league isn`t as easy as he`d anticipated after eight Premier League games unbeaten.

Team News - Luiz Felipe Scolari welcomed back Ashley Cole for he top of the table clash with Liverpool. Cole took over from Wayne Bridge at left back but Chelsea were still missing Michael Essien, Michael Ballack, Jose Cole and Didier Drogba.

First Half - Chelsea got the action underway attacking the Matthew Harding end and it was the home side that created the first chance. Nicolas Anelka broke forward and his ball to Deco saw the Portuguese star`s shot deflected for a corner.

However, the home crowd were shocked when Liverpool took the lead in the tenth minute. Some lacklustre defending saw a failure to clear the ball and when Alonso tried his luck from twenty odd yards the ball took a deflection off Jose Bosingwa to leave Petr Cech wrong footed.

The goal was the first Rafa Benitez had seen his side score at Stamford Bridge in the league and it was also Alonso`s first of the season.

Chelsea tried to respond but Salomon Kalou could only unleash a weak shot after Howard Webb played the advantage rule after Frank Lampard had been fouled.

Riera then hit the side netting with a shot from an acute angle before Kalou unsuccessfully stooped low to try and direct a header from a Bosingwa cross, into the net.

Just past the half way mark in the half Cech was forced to tip over a dipping Steven Gerrard shot from twenty-five yards. Lampard then saw a shot deflected for a corner and as Chelsea seemed to be getting the upper hand, Deco unleashed a couple of shots from outside the area that were both deflected for corners.

Hopefully the second half would see a turn in fortune for Chelsea. Pepe Reina must be made to work more!

Second Half - Neither manager made any changes for the second half and the half was to start slowly. Reina collected a Lampard cross before an Aurelio free kick, after a rash challenge from Malouda, flies high and wide.

Malouda was then clattered in the box by Reina but had already fallen victim to an offside flag, moments earlier. Ashley Cole was then booked for a rash kick-out at Carragher before Kuyt fired an effort wide form twenty yards.

Just before the hour mark Scolari rang the changes bringing on Juiliano Belletti and Franco Di Santo for the ineffective Kalou and Malouda. Ashley Cole, in the next attack, appeared to be infringed by Kuyt but the referee was having none of it.

On sixty-one minutes Belletti was penalised for a high boot and from the resulting free kick, Alonso crashed his shot against the foot of the post with Cech beaten.

Di Santo was slowly beginning to have an impact on the game and one knock down presented the advancing Ashley Cole with a great chance but he sliced it horribly wide.

Minutes later Deco was deprived at the last moment by a great tackle before Babel tried to repeat his goal of the Champions League semi-final, last April, but sent his shot a yard wide.

Time was running out and Lampard tried to get Chelsea on level terms with a header but Reina easily clasped it and when first Belletti and then Mikel, fired tamely wide with long distance chances you knew it wasn`t going to be our day.

Scolari`s last throw of the dice was to throw Scott Sinclair into the fray but in the five minutes he was on, I doubt whether he got a kick at all.

So it`s Liverpool that march on unbeaten and fair play to them, overall I 'd say they just about deserved it today.

Team- Cech, Bosingwa (Sinclair - 85), Terry, Carvalho, A.Cole, Mikel, Lampard, Deco, Malouda (Di Santo - 58), Anelka, Kalou (Belletti - 58)

Unused Subs - Cudicini, Ivanovic, Ferreira, Alex,

Chelsea Scorers - Nil (ouch)

Chelsea Yellow Cards - Malouda, Mikel, A.Cole

Chelsea Red Cards - Nil