Chelsea v Liverpool player ratings
Chelsea paid the price for a poor start in the home defeat against Liverpool. Here’s how we rated the players in the 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge.
Thibaut Courtois: 7
Lucky to get away with a nervy fumble from Daniel Sturridge’s early shot, but otherwise caught well and made one staggering second-half save from point-blank range. Had no chance with either goal.
Branislav Ivanovic: 5
A performance that lacked quality and concentration. A rushed early clearance and some needless tackles set the tone early on and, like many of his defensive colleagues, he was guilty of switching off for Liverpool’s opener. Improved in the second half but still careless at times.
Gary Cahill: 6
The England centre-half was solid but a terrible clearance gave away possession directly to Jordan Henderson for the second goal.
David Luiz: 8
A very tidy second debut for the Brazilian. Used the ball well, was pragmatic in defensive situations and looked comfortable in familiar surroundings.
Cesar Azpilicueta: 6
Defensively sound but his lack of natural attacking ability often left the team short in the final third.
N’Golo Kante: 7
Another decent display from the Frenchman who maintained his energy levels and dynamism when all was going wrong in the first period. Has a great ability to read the game in crowded midfield areas.
Nemanja Matic: 6
Appeared cumbersome in the first half but upped his workrate and covered more ground after the break, laying on Chelsea’s goal with a fine burst forward.
Willian: 7
Often double marked, but the Brazilian still provided the most consistent threat, running from deep and beating James Milner with ease on numerous occasions. But he often struggled to pick out a final pass having done the hard work.
Oscar: 5
Plenty of endeavour but never seemed to get the break of the ball and much of his running was wasted trying to win back possession while outnumbered. Pushed further forward after the interval but could not affect the game.
Eden Hazard: 6
Saw lots of the ball but could not make the impact he would have liked despite several promising moments and purposeful surges. Like Willian was regularly double-marked but still managed to create space.
Diego Costa: 8
The Spain striker became increasingly influential as the game wore on, scoring a good goal and almost adding a second soon after. Had to drop deep to get possession and ran himself ragged chasing lost causes. He made countless dangerous runs in tight areas and was a constant menace without getting involved in any feuds.
