Mohamed Salah scored a first-half penalty after Curtis Jones was brought down by Levi Colwill. Liverpool briefly thought they had a second spot-kick after Robert Sanchez sent Jones crashing to the floor, but a VAR review showed the Chelsea keeper got the ball first and the decision was overturned.

Chelsea’s encouraging start under Enzo Maresca has meant there have been fewer references to their spending but they fielded central midfielders who cost some £280m. Two of them, Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, attracted big bids from Liverpool in 2023 and the Ecuadorian, in his defence, created a goal with a defence-splitting pass.

It was a legitimate question to ask of Liverpool given their almost flawless start under Arne Slot and the wait for their first serious Premier League test. Old Trafford does not qualify at present. Chelsea provided it and Liverpool found the answers,