There was an interesting narrative to explore on Saturday, as the further implosion of Jose Mourinho's Chelsea side corresponded with the moment where Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool squad finally seemed to come into their own. Klopp hadn't won any Premier League matches since he took over at Anfield early in October, securing draws against Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton. The German manager won his first game in charge last week, though, coaching the Reds to a 1-0 League Cup win against AFC Bournemouth. By beating Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, Klopp has officially notched his first Premier League win; many others are sure to follow. But Chelsea's loss to Liverpool is perhaps slightly more significant for the Blues.
Following the loss it's unclear how many matches Jose Mourinho has left at Chelsea. The Portuguese manager has had monumental success in his two stints with the Blues, coaching the football club to three Premier League titles, three League Cups, one FA Cup, and one Community Shield. Last season, his team dominated English football so thoroughly that no one would have predicted he would be on the chopping block come November. Chelsea is in dire straits now, though, having won only one of their last eight matches, across all competitions.
The Nail in the Coffin?
Ahead of the home match against Liverpool, many soccer pundits theorized that a loss for Chelsea would be the final nail in the coffin for Jose Mourinho. In addition to the games he's lost this season, Mourinho 
has also had trouble with Football Association referees, the press, and his team's own medical staff-among other parties. In fact, Mourinho coached Saturday's game from the dugout, exiled there after being sent off in the previous match against Southampton.
At the start of the match, it looked as if Chelsea might give their manager a reprieve. Brazilian midfielder Ramires opened the scoring for the fixture just four minutes in. The Blues would hold their lead for the majority of the first half, only losing it at 45+3, when a curling kick from Philippe Coutinho found the back of the net.
The last-minute equalizer should have pushed Chelsea into a do-or-die situation for the second half, one where top 2014 2015 scorers like Eden Hazard and Diego Costa would create and convert chances to bring their team back from the brink of doom. Instead, Liverpool were the ones who came out of the locker rooms with fire in their bellies.
Coutinho officially put Liverpool into the lead at the 74-minute mark, scoring his second goal of the afternoon off an assist from Christian Benteke. Benteke, who has been somewhat disappointing following his pricy transfer from Aston Villa in the summer, made up for lost time less than 10 minutes later, scoring to give Liverpool a two-point lead. That didn't leave much time for the Blues to scramble a scoring drive, and the team ultimately left their home pitch as the losers.
A Confidence Issue
To say the team that Chelsea put on the field against Liverpool is entirely dissimilar from last year's league-winning squad would be inaccurate. After all, the narrative of this game-where Chelsea took an 
early lead and failed to defend it-mirrors the events that took the Blues out of the Champions League last season. Mourinho's strategy of taking the lead and guarding it, instead of going for more goals, has backfired numerous times during his tenure.
This match was different, though, in that the Blues don't seem to have any confidence left. Costa and Hazard have spent the season playing as shells of their former selves. John Terry has become ineffective as both a defender and a team captain. It certainly doesn't help that two of the soccer club's best players-goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and midfielder Pedro-are currently sidelined.
Whether or not the blame falls on Jose Mourinho's shoulders depends on your perspective. Mourinho is undoubtedly a great coach, but his negativity and volatility this season has only plunged his soccer club into a deeper hole. Now, with Chelsea sitting 15th in the Premier League, many football pundits are speculating that the Portuguese manager could be gone by the end of next weekend. Supposedly, he has two games to turn things around: tonight's Champions League match against Dynamo Kyiv and their Saturday away game at Stoke City. Draws or losses in those two games will likely mark the end of Mourinho's second stint at Chelsea.
Pick up a Chelsea shirt at Soccer Box to show your support for Jose Mourinho and his struggling football squad.
