Chelsea maintained their unbeaten Premier League record at Stamford Bridge with a 1-1 draw against Liverpool. Here’s how we rated the players.
Thibaut Courtois: 7
His positioning was impeccable again and he made several decent saves, the pick of which was a fine near-post reaction stop to keep out a deflected left-wing cross by Raheem Sterling in the second half.
Branislav Ivanovic: 7
Had a tough afternoon but coped admirably despite having to deal with the pace of Sterling, Phillipe Coutinho and Jordan Ibe. Was exposed numerous times but only beaten on a couple of occasions.
Kurt Zouma: 6
Only lasted 35 minutes before a knee injury saw him replaced but he was steady and effective, apart from one moment where he was caught off balance trying to stop the excellent Coutinho get a shot away.
John Terry: 8
Faultless again. Didn’t waste possession, made several superb challenges where his anticipation against tricky forwards running at pace shone through, and also scored a fine goal.
Filipe Luis: 5
Unconvincing stuff from the Brazilian. Looked nervy in defence and failed to make a difference in the final third despite numerous promising moments and some dangerous positions.
John Mikel Obi: 6
Impressed in the screening role but his lack of a mobility was an increasing worry as Liverpool’s nippy attackers began to impose themselves.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek: 7
Hugely promising full debut. Tenacious, tidy and did a fine job in the holding role, pressing and defending with composure. But began to get overrun after the interval and was replaced with half an hour to go. Tried 27 pretty simple passes and all came off.
Cesc Fabregas: 7
So many nearly things for the Spaniard in the advanced midfield role. Had a couple of sights of goal, came close to setting up a goal on numerous occasions and showed some breathtaking skills and vision throughout. Was busy and combative too, although he could easily have been sent off for a nasty early lunging tackle that looked nasty but was just badly mistimed.
Willian: 8
Another effervescent performance full of running, good awareness, steady passing and selfless off-the-ball effort. Was Chelsea’s brightest and most effective attacker and almost netted with a fizzing cross shot.
Eden Hazard: 6
Nothing quite came off, often through sheer bad luck but sometimes because of a rare sloppiness. But his work-rate was typically impressive, as shown by some late tracking back to win the ball – effort that was clearly appreciated by his manager.
Loic Remy: 6
Impressive in the first half, holding the ball up intelligently and posing a threat in behind. But struggled to make an impact as he tired and Chelsea lost the midfield battle after the break. Could become an important player next season, but needs to stay fit and sharp.
Gary Cahill: 7
Alongside Terry he was excellent. Had no trouble dealing with Rickie Lambert, dominated in the air and on the deck, made several trademark blocks and never looked flustered even when faced with Liverpool’s considerable attacking speed.
Nemanja Matic: 7
Instantly made a difference in midfield when he came on with 30 minutes to go, improving the tempo and ensuring Chelsea began to compete more. Crucially he began to close down further up the pitch and lifted those around him.
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This post was last modified on 08/07/2015