Liverpool 0-1 Chelsea: 5 hits and flops as Mason Mount's strike condemns the Reds to fifth consecutive home defeat | Premier League 2020-21

Liverpool created yet another unwanted record of losing five consecutive home games for the first time in their history after going down 1-0 to Chelsea at Anfield in the Premier League.

Mason Mount scored a thunderbolt in the 42nd-minute as Chelsea secured an important victory in their quest for a top-four finish.

The Reds were simply awful on the night, like they've been in 2021 so far, producing a limp attacking display once again.

However, they should've won a penalty for N'Golo Kante's handball in the second-half, which referee Martin Tyler waved away after a VAR review.

Yet that moment cannot hide their struggles on the night, as Liverpool's atrocious defense of the hard-earned league title continued with an eighth defeat of the season.

Here are the hits and flops from the match:

Flop: Liverpool

Battered, beaten, bruised - that's the Liverpool of today!

What on earth has gone wrong for Liverpool this year? The reigning Premier League champions have been so appalling that they're fast turning this into one of the worst ever title defenses in recent history.

Sure, there have been a couple of individual mistakes, while injuries have constantly reared their ugly head on the side, but it's the lack of character on the pitch by the players which has truly been shocking.

Tonight was another example of the same. The Reds played without any desire to win, or the urgency to get back into the match, as if they were flexing at a training ground on a balmy weekend.

You may have your own culprits on the night, such as Liverpool's stellar attacking triumvirate who disappointed again, but tonight was a collective failure, with no coordination or communication between them.

Hit: Mason Mount (Chelsea)

Mount scored his third goal of the last five games!

For all of Chelsea's insane £200 million+ outlay in the summer, one of their best players this season has been academy star Mason Mount, whose influence on the side continues to grow.

Following his breakout year under Frank Lampard, the former Derby County player's future at Chelsea was called into question after an influx of several new and expensive arrivals.

However, Mount has braved all the challenges to successfully prove his worth to Chelsea, and scored another brilliant goal tonight.

Upon receiving the ball at the edge of the box, the 22-year old scurried up a few steps before lashing a thunderous volley into the far post, giving the diving Alisson no chance.

This was his fifth top-flight goal of the season, third in the last five games alone, and edges him closer to matching his tally from last season.

Hit: Timo Werner (Chelsea)

Werner delivered a superb performance without scoring!

His first season at Chelsea will go down as an expensive flop, with Timo Werner struggling to replicate his exploits of RB Leipzig in the Premier League. But tonight, the striker was actually good.

Of course, goals were missing from his game once again, but Werner's influence extended much beyond just that, showing good hold-up play and linking up attacks for his side upfront.

Werner even saw a goal disallowed (for the umpteenth time this season) in the first-half as he was marginally offside, depriving him of a fine effort, but that was the only sore note on an otherwise pristine evening.

He had three shots in total, two on target, and won four defensive aerial duels too, more than any player tonight. Werner can only hope to build on from this performance.

Hit: Jorginho (Chelsea)

Jorginho stamped his authority in the match!

We could've easily gone with either of Chelsea's holding midfielders, Kante or Jorginho, but the latter slots in here for he seems to have returned to his rip-roaring best.

The marauding Italian was everywhere tonight, key to regaining possession and providing excellent cover for the back-four.

Jorginho might as well have bagged an assist had Werner's goal stood, but that defence-splitting throughball in the build-up was right from the top-drawer.

He also completed a game-high five tackles and three clearances too, as the former Napoli man made all the right decisions in midfield and absolutely dominated Liverpool.

Flop: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)

Is Klopp exhausted of ideas?

Only Jurgen Klopp can tell us what was going on in his mind today, for the Liverpool boss made some appalling mistakes too from the sidelines, and must shoulder his share of the burden of this catastrophe.

For starters, he took off Mohamed Salah, his leading scorer this season, in the 67th-minute itself - why the hell would you do that when your team is desperately seeking a goal?

Secondly, Diogo Jota, who's been a star signing for them, returned from a lengthy injury spell, but Klopp subbed him on only after the hour mark - why not at half-time given that Mane was clearly struggling?

Then there was also the case of taking Curtis Jones, who looked bright from an attacking standpoint, off for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He also brought on James Milner ahead of Naby Keita, who could've injected some much-needed creative spark.

With his team going from one disastrous result to another, the pressure on Jurgen Klopp is understandably enormous, but in terms of game management, this has to be right up there amongst the worst of his career.