Chelsea 0-2 Liverpool: Player Ratings as Mane brace lifts Reds at Stamford Bridge | Premier League 2020-21

Liverpool beat a ten-man Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, with a second-half brace from Sadio Mane giving Jurgen Klopp's side a well-deserved win.

Andreas Christensen was sent off just before half-time for denying Mane a clear goal-scoring opportunity, in an incident that proved to be the decisive moment of the game.

Liverpool raced outof the blocks in the second half, and were 2-0 up in no time, as Mane punished Chelsea.

The Blues had an opportunity to get a foot back in the game when Thiago Alcantara conceded a penalty on his Liverpool debut, but Alisson Becker saved Jorginho's penalty.

Here's how each player fared for both teams.

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Chelsea Player Ratings

Kepa made another big mistake to cost his team a goal

Kepa Arrizabalaga - 2/10

Another day, another awful error from Kepa. He played the ball straight to the onrushing Mane to enable the Reds to make it 2-0, and put the game beyond Chelsea. He did make a couple of decent saves towards the end of the game, but that mistake was fatal to Chelsea's chances in this game.

Reece James - 7/10

For most of that game, James went toe-to-toe with Mane, and came out level pegging. However, for Liverpool's first goal, the young Englishman was outsmarted by Mane's movement, as he lost track of the Senegalese and let him have a free header.

Andreas Christensen - 1/10

He was first caught napping by Mane's run across him, and then compounded that error by jumping on the Senegalese and bringing him down. It was a clear red card, and left Chelsea with next to no chance of winning the game with 10 men against 11.

Kurt Zouma - 6/10

He was terrific at the back for most of the game, especially when Chelsea were defending set-pieces. However, he could not really get his passing on point, as Liverpool's press drew errors out of Zouma far too often.

Marcos Alonso - 5/10

Salah had a great time on the flank up against Alonso, even if he barely managed to provide any end-product. The Spaniard didn't get close enough to the Egyptian, and allowed him to turn far too easily.

Jorginho - 3/10

The Italian's miserable afternoon was compounded by the missed penalty, as the Reds midfield pressure really got to him. He couldn't reallyimpose himself on the game with his controlling of possession from midfield.

N'Golo Kante - 6/10

You could not question the desire or work-rate from Kante, but especially in the second half, he was just left chasing shadows.

Mateo Kovacic - 5/10

Kovacic was generally sitting a little too deep, and just recycling possession. His best work in a Chelsea shirt has generally come as a ball-carrier, and he didn't do that in this game.

Mason Mount - 5/10

Mount was a peripheral figure in the game. In the second half, he was non-existent, apart from one moment, when a dipping shot just flew over the bar.

Timo Werner - 6/10

Starting on the left, Werner had a few bright moments, when he ran at the Liverpool defence with menace, but Fabinho had a great game, easily stopping him each time. Werner also won the penalty that Jorginho missed.

Kai Havertz - 4/10

A real non-entity in this game, Havertz could not get any change out of Van Dijk or Fabinho. He was taken off at half-time.

Substitutes

Fikayo Tomori - 6/10

Replacing Christensen, he did look a lot better than the Dane, and was commanding especially in defending crosses.

Tammy Abraham - 5/10

He had a clear chance to score, but his shot was well saved by Alisson.

Ross Barkley - 4/10

After replacing Kovacic, he was chasing shadows in midfield.

Liverpool Player Ratings

Thiago Alcantara made his Liverpool debut

Alisson Becker - 8/10

Alisson saved his first penalty in a Liverpool shirt, and got himself a long-awaited clean sheet, which he ensured with a late low save off Abraham. This game would have done his confidence a world of good.

Trent Alexander-Arnold - 6/10

After an uncertain and scratchy game against Leeds last week, Alexander-Arnold was much more involved, and much sharper in this one. He defended well against the threat of Werner and Alonso, and the crossing radar was a lot more accurate.

Fabinho - 9/10

Filling in at centre-back in the absence of Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, Fabinho was excellent. He didn't commit to tackles against Werner, but timed them perfectly when he had to. He was proactive in making interceptions, and ensured that the Liverpool defence managed to work successfully with the high-line.

Virgil van Dijk - 6/10

It was a solid performance from the Dutchman, but Chelsea directed a lot of their attacking play through the other side, leaving him with not much to do. He did well in rushing and clearing the ball on the rebound after Alisson saved Jorginho's penalty.

Andrew Robertson - 6/10

He was reasonably solid defensively, but his crossing and general passing in the final third needed to be a lot more penetrative and accurate.

Jordan Henderson - 7/10

The Liverpool skipper played the superb pass that Mane ran on to, before Christensen hauled him down. He was taken off at half-time, with what Klopp called "a small knock".

Naby Keita - 6/10

He played a little too deep to make full use of his skillset. That meant that he was just recycling possession, and not really playing the penetrative passes that he is known for.

Georginio Wijnaldum - 5/10

He had two half-chances early in the game, but didn't striker either shot with any conviction. He improved a lot in the second half, after being lethargic and slow in possession before the break.

Mohamed Salah - 7/10

Salah was in sublime form again, as he cut in from the right, and caused Chelsea a lot of trouble in the central areas. He was an integral part of the build-up to the first Liverpool goal as well.

Sadio Mane - 8/10

He was involved in the game's three most decisive moments. Christensen fouled him to get sent off. He scored a super header, and then his own hard work ensured he nicked the ball off Kepa, and doubled up for the day.

Roberto Firmino - 6/10

Great interplay with Salah meant that Firmino found himself at the byline, but with options available, he picked the perfect pass, floating one across for Mane to head home.

Substitutes

Thiago Alcantara - 6/10

On his Premier League debut, Thiago was impressive. He made 75 successful passes, which was more than any Chelsea player on the pitch. His game was soured by conceding a penalty, but Alisson saved that as well.

James Milner - 6/10

He came on to replace Keita, to help Liverpool manage their 2-0 lead and see the game out.

Takumi Minamino - N/A

A late substitute for Firmino.