Chelsea’s defeat by Liverpool piles pressure on André Villas-Boas

• Manager insists he has Roman Abramovich’s backing
• ‘We have set out to build something new at this club’

André Villas-Boas said he still has the backing of Chelsea’s owner, Roman Abramovich, after his side’s defeat by Liverpool. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters

André Villas-Boas has claimed he retains the support of the Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, after a third defeat in four Premier League matches cast his side further adrift in the title race.

The loss to Liverpool, confirmed by the former Chelsea player Glen Johnson’s late goal, condemned the London side to successive home league defeats for the first time in the Abramovich era to leave them 12 points off Manchester City at the summit. The team still appear riddled by defensive frailties and are now one of four clubs on 22 points, suggesting even their long-term place in the top four should be considered in doubt.

This club’s willingness to sack managers, particularly when future Champions League participation appears to be in doubt, was established with the dismissal of Luiz Felipe Scolari in February 2009 after seven months in the role. When asked if he was concerned about Abramovich’s lack of patience, Villas-Boas replied: “It’s not a question of the owner having patience. We have set out to build something new at this club, and the club is committed to taking on what we’re building into the future.

“The owner didn’t pay €15m [in compensation] to get me out of Porto only to pay me another fortune just to let me go again. Our commitment is towards the club and what we are doing in the future. We have enough talent to compete in all competitions, and that’s the perspective we take at the moment.”

Villas-Boas has lost twice as many points – 14 – from his first 12 league games in charge as Scolari did in 2008-09, though even with the club’s desire to reinvigorate the squad, the Portuguese is adamant this should not be considered a season of transition. “Given the dimension of our club, you cannot forget that your fans expect you to win titles. We have to respond to the confidence of the fans.

“There’s no running away from responsibilities. There’s no calling this a transitional period. We’re not asking for time to work. Our responsibility is to win trophies. We’re in four still, and we still have the possibility to win them. This has not been the brightest of starts for Chelsea in the Premier League in the last 10 years. It doesn’t look good being 12 points behind the leaders, and such strong leaders, too. But the belief is there. The December fixtures give us hope if we’re able to make the most of them.”

Liverpool have now won three successive games against this opposition for the first time since the early 1970s, with the visitors’ midfielder Charlie Adam dedicating the victory to the memory of Luca Jones, the five-year-old son of Liverpool’s reserve goalkeeper, Brad Jones, who died this week of leukaemia.

Kenny Dalglish has not lost in 12 matches as Liverpool’s manager against Chelsea, having prevailed here 1-0 last season, though he suggested this was a better display. “We scored twice as many goals, for a start,” he said. “We looked a better team, especially in the first half. Last year it was pretty defensive. This year, we stood up and stood against them.”

The visitors were able to capitalise on increasingly familiar, shaky Chelsea defending, with Petr Cech and Mikel John Obi at fault for the opener, and Ashley Cole and Florent Malouda bypassed by Johnson for the winner. Villas-Boas insisted he can restore solidity to the team with these personnel, despite opting against selecting Alex, who has appeared only three times this season in the league but featured in both of this side’s clean sheets, at Stoke and Blackburn.

There was criticism of David Luiz from the television pundit Gary Neville, with the former Manchester United player suggesting the Brazilian appeared to be “being controlled by a 10-year-old in the crowd with a PlayStation”. “Gary was a fantastic defender but I have nothing to say about his opinion,” Villas-Boas said. “It’s a stupid approach to an opinion, but if that’s the way he wants to take the game, that’s ridiculous.

“The amount of goals we are conceding is something that worries me, of course. But we trust our defensive organisation. It’s immense talent that we have at our disposal and we believe we’ll get it right. We need to organise ourselves a little bit better. At the moment we are, as players and staff, on a bad run and the perception is we need to win every game if we are to maintain a title challenge. The situation in the league may not be good for us. But it’s not impossible to turn it around. ”

Chelsea v Liverpool: five things we learned

André Villas-Boas is under increasing pressure while big-money signings are still struggling to settle at both clubs

Luis Suárez, the best of the big-money signings on show at Stamford Bridge, was in impressive form for Liverpool. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

1 André Villas-Boas is already a manager under pressure

It was arguable that, given the summer transfer outlay, Kenny Dalglish should have come into this fixture as the manager under greater scrutiny. But in ensuring he has now gone 12 matches unbeaten against Chelsea while in charge of Liverpool he left the focus fixed on André Villas-Boas. The 34-year-old has never experienced toils quite this troubling in his fledgling managerial career. Chelsea had never lost successive home league games under Roman Abramovich’s ownership, though three defeats in four league matches is squeezing confidence at the club. Of course, Villas-Boas is charged with more than short-term success. He has to rejuvenate the team while the squad continues to evolve – transfer policy is aimed at more youthful recruits these days – which can only be a long-term project. He needs time to impose his ideas and make his influence properly felt. But Chelsea are understandably terrified of ever failing to qualify for the Champions League. Those fears did for Luiz Felipe Scolari in the winter of 2009, though the Brazilian dropped only seven points in his first 12 games in charge. The Portuguese has shed twice as many in the same time.

2 The days of Chelsea’s stingy defence are long gone

To suggest Chelsea are not as watertight as they once were is hardly revelatory. The runaround Arsenal administered here this month in plundering five proved as much, as does the sorry tally of two clean sheets in the Premier League to date all term. Yet this team are contriving to concede increasingly ridiculous goals. Petr Cech’s implausible throw to Mikel John Obi just after the half‑hour provided Liverpool with their opener, Charlie Adam’s snapped tackle and Craig Bellamy’s awareness duly cutting a swath through panicked defenders. The ease with which Glen Johnson glided past Ashley Cole and Florent Malouda for the winner was ridiculous. Chelsea may be experimenting with a more attacking approach but they have conceded 17 times in 12 games this season, two more than they did in the entirety of José Mourinho’s first season at the club. And Alex, a tower of strength in the blanks achieved at Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers in two of his three appearances this season, was not even in the 18-man matchday squad here.

3 Liverpool are still a work in progress

This was a result for Dalglish to savour, a victory to make the rest of the division sit up and take real notice. Yet, as his team contemplate a nine-match unbeaten run that has put them level on points with fourth place, there will be frustration at the wastefulness that has ensured Manchester City remain so distant at the top. Had Liverpool prevailed in matches they would have expected to win – most notably at home to Swansea City, Norwich City and Sunderland, but also even against Manchester United and Stoke City in games they dominated – they would be title contenders. Their unbeaten sequence suggests consistency, though that is deceptive. They are a team capable of startling results but they remain a work in progress. Even so, under Dalglish, the future feels decidedly bright again.

4 Big money arrivals are still to settle at both clubs

The dust has settled on the frenzied transfer dealings involving these clubs on the final day of the mid-winter window in January but Liverpool and Chelsea are still waiting to see any real return on their money. Andy Carroll and Fernando Torres began this match as £85m worth of substitutes, the pair granted a combined eight minutes to impress. Throw in Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing, who began on the visitors’ bench, and Raul Meireles among the home replacements at the start, and there are plenty of new arrivals waiting to settle. Yet it is the forwards’ toils that hog the limelight. Torres and Carroll have now contributed seven goals in 41 Premier League games between them since leaving their previous clubs. Villas-Boas had been quick to praise the Spaniard in the build-up to this contest with former employers, only to leave him out. That said much. As did the decision to introduce Daniel Sturridge at the break rather than the £50m record signing.

5 Yet there was one solid signing on deadline day

The best piece of business achieved on the eve of the closure of the January transfer window still feels as if it was Luis Suárez’s £22m signing from Ajax. The Uruguayan has concerns off the pitch, with a Football Association charge for racially abusing Patrice Evra hanging over him, but his form is impressive. He was at his best slipping Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt, such willing runners, through Chelsea’s obligatory high line in the opening period with clever reverse passes aplenty. His involvement in the rat-a-tat of passes that pre-empted Maxi Rodríguez’s goal was almost inevitable. The striker was not involved in Johnson’s winner here, but that was bizarre: he feels integral to every attack this Liverpool team muster at present.

Atletico secure much needed Levante win

Sporting Gijon come from behind to beat Getafe

Misfiring Atletico Madrid finally found their touch in front of goal but were forced to hang on for a 3-2 victory over Levante, who fell to their third consecutive defeat.

The pressure was on Atletico coach Gregorio Manzano after their derby defeat by Getafe in their last game meant they had only one win in eight matches, but they showed plenty of attacking intent from the start.

The visitors are still in the top four thanks to a seven-match winning streak earlier in the season and they set out their stall to defend deeply and try to catch Atletico on the counter-attack.

Tiago Cardoso fired over early on from inside the area but generally Atletico struggled in the first half to create clear-cut chances.

After the break Levante almost sneaked a lead but keeper Thibaut Courtois was quickly off his line to deny Xavi Torres.

Atletico missed a series of openings but eventually went ahead through a cool finish from substitute Luis Pizzi. Levante hit back immediately via Torres but Adrian Lopez restored Atletico’s advantage after 74 minutes and Diego added another before a Ruben Suarez consolation.

Athletic Bilbao continue to soar up the table with a 2-1 victory away to Sevilla which has put them in sixth place.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have now gone eleven matches unbeaten following a slow start to the campaign under the Chilean coach which took them six attempts to register their first win in la liga.

Since then though they have never looked back and fully deserved the three points against a Sevilla side which have not won now in five games and are just a point above Athletic.

Andoni Iraola gave Athletic the lead after just five minutes and while Sevilla drew level through Jesus Navas after a headed knock down from Frederic Kanoute, the visitors were in charge.

In particular Sevilla were finding it difficult to cope with Athletic’s physical threat although the winner came from a move with the ball on the ground as Iker Muniain found Oscar De Marcos, who scored from close range.

“This was not an easy win but a just one. At the moment we are not a side which wins games comfortably. Sevilla have some very good strikers and in the second half we were able to control them, while in both halves we were strong going forward,” said Bielsa.

Earlier, Sporting Gijon came from behind to beat Getafe thanks to a late Nacho Novo winner. Oscar Trejo equalised a Nicolas Miku goal in first half stoppage time and then a minute from the end Novo headed in a second.

Osasuna drew 0-0 with Rayo Vallecano while it was also goalless between Real Sociedad and Espanyol, who moved onto the fringes of the European places with 17 points.

Real Madrid kept their three point cushion at the top Saturday with a 3-2 win over Valencia in a stormy encounter at the Mestalla.

The pressure was on Real who had Barcelona breathing down their necks after their earlier 4-0 win over Zaragoza but they produced a battling display against a Valencia side who pushed them all the way after the break.

Real have a higher intensity to their play this season and deserved their lead through Karim Benzema after 19 minutes but Valencia responded after the break and the game threatened to boil over as tackles rained in and tempers frayed.

Sergio Ramos headed Real further ahead midway through the second half before Roberto Soldado hit the first of a double.

A mistake from Valencia keeper Alves who recklessly came off his line allowed Ronaldo to score from a tight angle, but another Soldado goal set up a grandstand finish.

A stylish Barcelona produced a rendition of attacking football at the Nou Camp against a Zaragoza side who have only won two games all season.

Barca were finding it difficult to find a cutting edge though until they managed it in a way not associated with Barca’s passing football, as Gerard Pique headed home a Xavi Hernandez free-kick.

Lionel Messi slotted in a second clinically before half time and then after the restartCarles Puyol and David Villa completed the scoring.

Barcelona Negotiations for Arsenal and Liverpool Target Eric Abidal Proving Stressful

The contract situation of Barcelona defender Eric Abidal is causing some stress within the corridors of power at the Camp Nou.

Abidal has been linked with both Arsenal and Liverpool in recent days, but the Frenchman’s first choice is still to remain at Barcelona if he can agree a new contract.

That has proven to be far from easy however and the situation is growing more pressing.

“I think that the negotiations for his new contract are stressing me more than the player”, commented Barcelona’s sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta.

“So, we’ll see how the situation proceeds”, added the former goalkeeping great.

The 32-year-old is a popular figure at the Camp Nou and coach Josep Guardiola is hoping a new deal can be signed between player and club.

Abidal signed for Barcelona in 2007 from Lyon.