As the rain pummelled one and all at Anfield, it couldn’t mar the electric atmosphere inside the stadium as January ended with one of the most anticipated fixtures of the month. Liverpool’s recent dip in form saw them knocked out of the FA and EFL Cup. They fell behind in the league as well making their clash against Chelsea crucial if they hoped to at least qualify for Europe by May.
As Liverpool dominated possession and dictated the rules of engagement, Chelsea missed out on a victory after Diego Costa’s miss from the spot. As the players fought valiantly, goals from David Luiz and Georginio Wijnaldum negated their efforts with the game ending level.
A satisfying result for both parties, here are the player ratings from the game:
Liverpool
Simon Mignolet – 6/10
In spite of saving Liverpool from an embarrassing fourth consecutive defeat at home, Simon Mignolet was kind of the reason why Chelsea had the lead in the first place. Thoroughly unprepared for David Luiz’s unexpected free-kick despite the referee’s signal, the Belgian keeper failed to deal with the ball conceding the first goal of the night.
However, he redeemed himself in the second half when he read Diego Costa well and saved his spot-kick. With very little to do otherwise, the 28-year-old will be glad to go home with a point.
Nathaniel Clyne – 6.2/10
After a dogged first half, Clyne showed plenty of pluck as he found space for himself making marauding runs into Chelsea’s half. A handful of decent crosses and Eden Hazard pretty much in his pocket, the right-back can call it a night on a job well done.
Joel Matip – 5/10
Matip’s night started well as he seemed to be on top of things near his own box. The Cameroon international made some crucial tackles in dangerous situations but his marred his performance by fouling Costa inside the box. Usually level-headed, the centre-back made a silly challenge that could have been very costly for the hosts.
Dejan Lovren – 5.5/10
The problem with Lovren reared its ugly head at Anfield again. While the defender proved he can be entirely reliable while defending his box, he almost always had a mistake in him. In spite of keeping Costa in check for most of the night, it was his failure to make a timely tackle on the Brazilian that led to the penalty.
James Milner – 6.5/10
It was a good outing from the midfielder turned right back as James Milner allowed very little space for Willian and Moses to run into on the left. Covering immense ground at a time, the English international thwarted all attempts at a counter-attack but made the mistake of clearing the ball into Moses’s path in the first half inside his own box.
The former Manchester City also contributed to Liverpool’s equaliser as he worked hard to keep Coutinho’s ball in allowing Wijnaldum to get to it for the goal. The 31-year-old started looking tired towards the end but will rest assured they salvaged a point after going behind.
Jordan Henderson – 7/10
Jordan Henderson is developing into a legitimate leader for Liverpool. Another solid performance from the skipper as he was a much-needed defensive cover in front of his backline. He made a particularly impressive tackle on Pedro who looked like he was about to hand Chelsea the win.
Emre Can – 5.7/10
It was a clumsy performance from Emre Can as he struggled to make accurate passes and control the ball on multiple occasions, more notably in the first half. While Liverpool were dominating, Can looked unsure of himself and lost the ball easily. However, the Turkish midfielder made improvements to his game after the break as he left his own half and moved further up the pitch getting at the end of some promising crosses.
Georginio Wijnaldum – 7/10
Wijnaldum was the busiest of Klopp’s bees as he rarely let any of his opponents in blue hold on to the ball and develop momentum. Resilient till the end, he was key to stopping Chelsea on the counter. The former Newcastle midfielder eventually played saviour for his side as he made the most of a poor clearance from Moses and pounced on the ball with a header that went for goal.
Adam Lallana – 6.8/10
Reliable as ever, Adam Lallana was a tireless addition to the Liverpool team as he never stopped being a thorn in Chelsea’s side. Relentless till his substitution, the English midfielder exerted continuous pressure on the visiting defenders and impressed for the most part barring one hideously mishit cross.
Philippe Coutinho – 6/10
A few tricks and passes aside, Coutinho struggled to make any concrete impact on the game. His footwork was impeccable and he worked well in tandem with his teammates but his game lacked vision. Possibly still waiting to find his form since his return from injury, the Brazilian playmaker may need more time to settle in.
Roberto Firmino – 6.5/10
Firmino did everything in his power all game to score but the finish eluded him. Popping up practically everywhere in and around his own half, he was difficult to pin down and a constant threat to Chelsea’s position. However, the Brazilian possible missed the best chance of the entire game when he went one-on-one with Courtois. Instead of taking a touch and aiming well, he fired the shot embarrassingly wide.
Substitutes
Sadio Mane – 6/10
The packing around his knee notwithstanding, Mane made an appearance from the bench less than 48 hours after his penalty miss in Gabon. Introduced with a quarter of an hour left to go, the Senegalese midfielder sent a flurry of crosses into the box and showed off some solid passing skills.
Divock Origi – NA
Introduced just before injury time, Divock Origi hardly had the opportunity to affect the game.
Chelsea
Thibaut Courtois – 6/10
Tested a little more than usual, he parried away most of Liverpool’s attempts on goal but failed to deal with Wijnaldum’s header. Moving to his near post in expectation of a threat, the ball from the Dutch midfielder caught him off-guard from close-range.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 6.2/10
While there wasn’t much wrong with Azpilicueta’s performance against Liverpool, the Spaniard seemed like he was exerting himself trying to keep up with the opposition. The centre-back was caught out on the counter on a few occasions but recovered well to keep his side in the game.
David Luiz – 7/10
Man of the match and rightly so, David Luiz had an exceptional night thanks to his superbly ingenious goal. Catching the Liverpool wall and Mignolet napping, Luiz took Chelsea’s free-kick in a beautiful moment of spontaneity to give his team the lead in the first half. The Brazilian also had a great night as a centre-back in spite of the knock he took. With a handful of clearances and blocks to top it all, it was a positive night for the defender.
Gary Cahill – 5.8/10
Gary Cahill just about held up to the pressure from Liverpool as the centre-back couldn’t afford to lose a second’s concentration. When he finally did, Wijnaldum got a clear chance to meet Moses’s poor clearance and headed the ball in for the goal.
Marcos Alonso – 6/10
For someone who normally does well against the opposition, Alonso found himself thwarted by Clyne on numerous occasions. While the Liverpool right-back attracted most of his defensive energies, the Italian found it difficult to go forward. With no scope to build momentum with his teammates, Alonso spent most of the game keeping the Reds at bay.
Nemanja Matic – 5.7/10
Matic’s night was a mixed bag of hits and misses. On the one hand, he made some important blocks in and around the penalty area. But on the other, he wasn’t as sure of himself while he was in possession of the ball. Under pressure from Liverpool midfielders for almost the entire game, Matic lost his bearings too many times for Antonio Conte’s comfort,
N’Golo Kante – 7/10
Kante’s boundless energy makes him an ideal fit for Liverpool. Instead, he was running the show for the Blues as he kept popping up in the middle of the park to regain possession. Fast and sure-footed, the Frenchman did his reputation justice by winning back the ball repeatedly and making important interceptions. The former Leicester player made a total of 14 tackles against the hosts, more than any other player in a single game this season.
Victor Moses – 5.5/10
Moses wasn’t at his best against the side he was on loan with a few years ago. Disregarding his defensive duties on occasion, he afforded too much leeway to Coutinho and then Can in the second half. However, he was slightly better going forward and was unfortunate to clip the near post as he attempted to score past Mignolet. The Nigerian’s poor header was also the culprit that gave Wijanldum the opportunity to score.
Eden Hazard – 6/10
While Hazard had some moments of immaculate control, he remained far from having any substantial impact on the game as he was constantly negated on the counter. The Belgian started off well but found it hard to make his presence felt as the game wore on to be replaced by Pedro halfway through the second half.
Willian – 5.5/10
It was Willian who made the cut for the game against Liverpool but he didn’t leave with much to show for it. The Brazilian struggled to find his place in the game as Liverpool closed down quickly. His performance was limited to a handful of runs around the box but they never amounted to anything.
Diego Costa – 5/10
Costa seemed to be in a petulant mood today although not as much as before. Kept in check by Lovren, the Brazilian found very little to work with and cut a mildly frustrated figure on the pitch. His best chance of the night came when he was handed the chance to take Chelsea’s spot-kick but botched it spectacularly with a poor attempt.
Substitutes
Pedro – 6.8/10
Coming on for Hazard in the second half, Pedro added a new creative dimension to Chelse’a game but it already seemed too late by then. A few insightful balls and a missed opportunity to score sums up Pedro’s 20-minute cameo for the Blues.
Cesc Fabregas – 6.5/10
Another late substitution, Fabregas gave Chelsea a couple of opportunities to go ahead with some nice through balls but Conte left it too late. A free-kick and some solid defensive work later, Fabregas travels back to London with a nine-point lead at the top of the table.
Michy Batshuayi – NA
Almost a token substitution, Batshuayi came on in the final minutes of the game and barely got a touch on the ball.
