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Chelsea moved back into the top four in the 2020-21 Premier League after a hard-fought 1-0 win away at Liverpool on Thursday.
A superb strike from Mason Mount was all that separated both sides at Anfield, but it was enough to condemn Liverpool to a fifth-straight home defeat.
Chelsea thought they opened the scoring earlier in the game. Timo Werner used his electrifying pace to outrun Fabinho before beating Alisson and tapping the ball into an empty net. But VAR ruled the goal out, as the German was adjudged to have strayed inches offside in the build-up.
The visitors continued to probe and finally clinched the opener when Mason Mount dazzled into the Liverpool box and drilling a powerful strike into the bottom corner to give his team the lead going into the break.
With Liverpool posing no threat in attack in the second half, Chelsea came close to a second when Hakim Ziyech whipped in a beautiful cross for the outstretching Timo Werner.
Liverpool continued to offer nothing in attack, and Chelsea were all too happy to see out the win.
The Blues are now unbeaten in ten games since Thomas Tuchel in all competitions, a superb run that includes games with Atletico Madrid, Manchester United and Liverpool.
On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings of both teams.
Liverpool player ratings against Chelsea
Alisson 5.5/10
Returning to the fold for the first time since the death of his father, the Brazilian shot-stopper had a shaky start to the game.
Liverpool were lucky to be still on level terms midway through the game, as Alison was beaten by the onrushing Timo Werner, who tapped the ball into an empty net. However, the goal was chalked off for offside.
The Liverpool keeper did make a brilliant stop to deny the German in the second half, but there was nothing he could do about Mason Mount's fine finish.
Trent Alexander-Arnold 6/10
He was targetted by the Chelsea attack, who kept pinging balls over the top towards Timo Werner.
Trent-Alexander Arnold was easily beaten by Mason Mount for Chelsea's opener. Despite trying to make something happen for Liverpool in attack, he was met by a resilient Chelsea defence.
Fabinho 5.5/10
Fabinho was also making a return to the fold following an injury spell. However, he looked to struggle with fitness the entire game and was often cut out by Chelsea's passes over the top. Fabinho was in no-man's-land for Chelsea’s opener and looked off-pace for most of the game.
Ozan Kabak 6/10
It was not the most assured performance from the former Schalke man. While Ozan Kabak was easily the best of Liverpool’s centre-back pair, he struggled to play out from the back against Chelsea’s high press.
Andy Robertson 5.5/10
Andy Robertson failed to contribute anything meaningful on the night, as Chelsea pegged him back in his half for most of the game. However, when Robertson pushed forward, he struggled to link up with Sadio Mane, failing to make any telling contribution in attack.
Georginio Wijnaldum 6.5/10
A solid presence at the centre or the park against Chelsea, Georginio Wijnaldum kept the ball alive in midfield. He lined his defence and attack brilliantly and was solid on the ball as he bounced off the Chelsea press with ease. However, Wijnaldum was let down by his teammates.
Thiago Alcantara 5/10
Thiago Alcantara was simply outplayed and outclassed by Chelsea’s midfield genius, as he once again struggled to lay a foothold on the game. The Spaniard fizzled out of the game and was eventually replaced by James Milner.
Curtis Jones 5/10
Curtis Jones was Liverpool's hero in the win over Sheffield United, but he failed to replicate that performance against an inspired Chelsea side. He was tidy with his passes, completing over 95% of them, while winning three ground duels before he was replaced by Diogo Jota at the hour mark.
Mohamed Salah 5/10
Mohamed Salah continues to look a shadow of his former self since the turn of the year, as he failed to hit his stride against Chelsea. He was bamboozled by the Blues defence, particularly Antonio Rudiger, and struggled to string threatening plays in attack. To his annoyance, he was hooked off after just 62 minutes for Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain.
Sadio Mane 6/10
The Senegalese posed a threat to the Chelsea defence. But he lacked the cutting edge to turn it into something meaningful, as he came second best against Cesar Azpilicueta more often than not.
Roberto Firmino 5/10
Another toothless outing from Liverpool’s Brazilian striker. He was given the nod ahead of the returning Diogo Jota, but he offered no threat in attack.
Player ratings of Liverpool substitutes
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 5/10
The Englishman made little or no impact after replacing Mohamed Salah, making Jurgen Klopp's decision questionable.
Diogo Jota 6/10
Diogo Jota came on for Curtis Jones in the 62nd minute and injected life into the Liverpool attack. His silky movement often had the Chelsea defence on its toes, but he never really looked like grabbing the all-important equaliser.
James Milner 5/10
James Milner came on for the final minutes of the game but was merely a spectator.
Chelsea player ratings against Liverpool
Edouard Mendy 6/10
The Chelsea shot-stopper has absolutely nothing to do, as the Liverpool attack remained toothless and only made their first shot on target in the 85th minute. Edouard Mendy distributed the ball brilliantly on the night.
Cesar Azpilicueta 7/10
The Chelsea skipper brought much-needed experience in Chelse's three-man defence. Cesar Azpilicueta did not hesitate to clear any signs of a threat from the Liverpool attack and did well in standing his ground against Diogo Jota, who returned to the fold after a lengthy injury lay-off.
Andreas Christensen 7/10
In the absence of Thiago Silva, the Chelsea defender continues to brew with confidence. In another dominant display, Andreas Christensen showed composure at the heart of the Chelsea defence, as he calmly drove high up the pitch to link up with his midfielders despite Liverpool’s high press.
Antonio Rudiger 7.5/10
A man reborn in recent weeks, Antonio Rudiger has shown he can be one of the finest defenders in the Premier League. He backed it up with another assured display on the left side of Chelsea’s three-man defence. Rudiger was unfazed by the threat of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, as he successfully thwarted them.
Reece James 6.5/10
After a slow start, the Chelsea academy graduate gradually grew into the game. Reece James was a nuisance to Liverpool down the left. He started the game with a reckless touch which Robertson looked to capitalise on, but he shook off his sluggish start to help Chelsea hold on to their lead.
N'Golo Kante 8/10
N'Golo Kante kept running all game, looking to kill any threat Liverpool posed from midfield. He looked to beat the Liverpool defence with searching passes over the top as Chelsea set up to take advantage of Timo Werner’s electric pace.
Kante's desire to hit it long earned Chelsea the opening goal, as his long pass was met by Mason Mount, before the Englishman drilled a low one past Allison.
Jorginho 7.5/10
Jorginho turned on the style at the centre of the park for Chelsea. He looked to break the Liverpool lines with defence-splitting passes while also going about his defensive duties adroitly.
Along with Kante, Jorginho sprayed dangerous balls over the top to beat the Liverpool offside trap. He only got denied an assist when Timo Werner was judged to have strayed millimetres offside.
Jorginho made the most interceptions and tackles for Chelsea in what was a memorable performance.
Ben Chilwell 6.5/10
It was a much more assured performance from the former Leicester City man. Ben Chilwell did well to prevent Mohamed Salah from being a nuisance. He also joined the attack to deliver hopeful crosses into the area as Chelsea looked to play on the break in the second half. Chilwell made a vital interception deep inside the Chelsea box at the death to keep his team's lead intact.
Hakim Ziyech 6.5
Hakim Ziyech had a decent outing for Thomas Tuchel's side, as he showed flashes of his creative genius on a few occasions. He came close to registering an assist when he played in a brilliant pass behind the Liverpool defence that almost landed for Werner.
Mason Mount 8.5/10
It was a colossal performance from the Chelsea-grown superstar. Mason Mount played a vital role in his team's win as he held his head high against Liverpool's characteristic high-energy press.
He scored the only goal of the game with a well-taken shot after he was set free by N’Golo Kante’s long ball. Mount cut into the box to fire home his third goal in the Thomas Tuchel era.
Timo Werner 7/10
Timo Werner was sharp all game as his high energy levels enabled him to constantly press high up the pitch. He linked up well with his Chelsea teammates on the night and looked to take advantage of his pace against his Liverpool markers.
That almost paid off midway through the first half when Werner raced past the Liverpool defence to beat Allison and tap into an empty net. But his goal was ruled out for offside by VAR.
Player ratings of Chelsea substitutes
Christian Pulisic 5.5/10
Christian Pulisic was brought on for the tiring Hakim Ziyech to spring the Chelsea attack back to life as they were on the back foot in the final stages of the game. However, Pulisic failed to offer anything noteworthy.
Kai Havertz 5/10
Kai Havertz came on for Timo Werner with three minutes left but made no telling contribution.
