An intense game for both the teams was finally won by the Blues with a narrow scoreline of two goals to one. Despite having lesser possession, Chelsea dominated in the attacking third creating many more chances than Liverpool which was the reason why they got their win. Liverpool will need to be more confident and decisive in their coming matches. Here are their player ratings.
Simon Mignolet: 6/10
He was decent and made some decent stops in the game. He in fact produced a good reflex save in the crowded penalty box situation but just couldn’t help fall backwards on the impact of Cahill’s shot.
Glen Johnson: 6.5/10
Johnson was caught unawares many times by Hazard and Oscar as they attacked the space behind him. But he had two crucial blocks off Hazard’s shots that were goal bound and would have finished the game in the first half itself.
Martin Skrtel: 6.5/10
He had his hands full with Costa and the physical battle was full of intensity throughout the game and Skrtel was a good match for the aggressive Chelsea striker. But his presence was negligible while defending set pieces.
Dejan Lovren: 5/10
He was lucky to be selected ahead of Toure. He was off pace for most part of the match and failed to dominate his area. Barely offered height advantage in key set piece situations and the likes of Oscar, Willian and Hazard had a easy day against him.
Alberto Moreno: 6/10
He was there in offense and defense running to and fro but was well managed by the burly Ivanovic and the hardworking Oscar. Moreno didn’t disappoint but didn’t stand out either.
Steven Gerrard: 6/10
Gerrard was well closed down by the Chelsea midfield. The Blues trio of Fabregas, Ramires and Matic overwhelmed the Reds skipper and lack of help from Henderson also affected his game. Had a shot which struck Cahill in the arm, but the penalty was not given.
Jordan Henderson: 5/10
A weak performance from the vice captain. His influence was non existent in the game as he struggled to cope up both defensively as well as offensively.
Emre Can: 7/10
Had an influential first half as he scored the first goal. His strength and work rate was good as he took the challenge to the Blues. He was subbed off later apparently as he tired.
Raheem Sterling: 7/10
Sterling was Liverpool’s best player as he threatened Chelsea with his dribbles and trickery. He got booked when he blocked Ramires but the Chelsea midfielder had his arms outstretched elbowing Sterling. Ramires was lucky to avoid a booking or a sending off.
Philippe Coutinho: 7/10
He had some quick tantalizing runs dissecting the Chelsea midfield but had little end product. Rodgers will have to get the best out of him if he needs his team to tick.
Mario Balotelli: 6/10
He offered absolutely zero goal threat and was no battle for Cahill and Terry. While his overall game seemed to have improved as he had some good hold up play and chased down some lost causes, he would still need more support from the players around him to get him scoring.
Subs:
Joe Allen: 6/10
He did fairly well as a substitute. He provided some extra legs to the midfield and would want to start ahead of Henderson.
Fabio Borini: 6/10
He had one header which looped over the goal. He was otherwise pretty quiet in the match.
Rickie Lambert: N/A
He didn’t play long enough to have an impact.