Chelsea enjoyed 57 per cent possession and had more attempts at goal at Anfield, despite facing the team top of the Premier League.

Ultimately, the Blues will return home empty-handed though after Mo Salah’s first-half penalty and Curtis Jones’ goal early in the second period, shortly after Nicolas Jackson had equalised.

Maresca said: ‘The performance was very good. We don’t like to lose games or drop points but if there is a way for you to do so, then this is the way.

‘I have been in this stadium many times and seeing Liverpool in their half for a long time is not easy. Overall, we controlled the game and for most parts, we dominated the game. But we lost, we are not happy but as I said, the performance on the ball and off the ball was very good.’

Liverpool’s winning goal came after Jones had run into the box to get on the end of Salah’s in-swinging cross and beat Chelsea’s high defensive line on the edge of the penalty area.

Maresca was asked if he was concerned by the nature of Liverpool’s two goals, with the first arriving after Jones went down following Levi Colwill’s attempt to make a tackle and Salah converted the resulting penalty.

Our head coach replied: ‘We conceded two goals. The first is a penalty, which can happen, and the second goal, in the way we have conceded the goal, we had already avoided five or six goals because of the behaviour of the line but sometimes you will concede.

‘But coming to a stadium like this and this team and thinking you will not concede chances or momentum is almost impossible because of the environment, the team and for many reasons.

‘For most parts of the game, we controlled it very well and we need to be proud of this but at the same time, a bit upset because we don’t like to lose games.’

He concluded: ‘For sure we can do many, many things better – no doubt – but at the same time, we need to understand that game after game we are getting better.’

One of the many positives to come from today’s match was the return of Reece James, for his first appearance of the season following injury, and Romeo Lavia’s first start since our opening-day defeat to Manchester City.

Both men featured for 53 minutes before being taken off as part of planned substitutions.

Maresca confirmed: ‘For Reece and Romeo, it was 45 minutes to an hour maximum but I was a bit afraid to give them more minutes so I decided to change them after 50 to 55 minutes.’