Liverpool faced off against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier this afternoon looking to stretch their winning run to 15 games in the Premier League. The Reds began the contest on the front foot and took the lead courtesy of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s thunderous free-kick in the 14th minute. The visitors doubled their advantage in the 30th minute when Roberto Firmino scored with a well-directed header. Jurgen Klopp’s men went into the half-time break with a healthy two goal lead.
The Pensioners came back strong in the second half and dominated possession in midfield. The home side created some decent openings in the Liverpool half. N’Golo Kante finally managed to make the breakthrough in the 70th minute when he scored a superb solo goal to give his team some hope of finding a way back into the contest. However, the Reds dug deep and managed to grab a hard-fought 2-1 win on the day.
Let’s take a look at how each Liverpool player have performed during the contest against the Pensioners.
GK: Adrian – 8/10
The Spaniard made some crucial saves at the back to keep his side ahead in the match. He also distributed the ball accurately but would be disappointed not to have kept a clean sheet.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7/10
The Liverpool youngster opened the goal-scoring with a fantastic strike in the first half. However, he was defensively vulnerable in the second.
CB: Joel Matip – 8/10
The Cameroonian centre-back made some outstanding last-gasp clearances to help his team get over the line. It was another commanding display from him at the heart of Klopp’s defence.
CB: Virgil Van Dijk – 7/10
The Dutch defender passed the ball accurately inside his own half and did well to keep Tammy Abraham quiet during the game.
LB: Andrew Robertson – 8/10
The Scottish full-back picked out Firmino with an excellent cross in the lead up to Liverpool’s second goal of the encounter. He put in a tireless display down the left flank and defended well at the back.
CM: Jordan Henderson – 7/10
The Reds skipper worked his socks off and closed down the Chelsea midfield quite effectively in the first half. However, his impact on the game faded as the match went on, which is why Klopp decided to replace him before the full-time whistle.
CM: Fabinho – 7/10
The Brazilian talent didn’t mind getting stuck in and doing the dirty, defensive work in midfield. He got cautioned in the second half as he committed a foul for his team which stopped the Chelsea attackers from launching a counter-attack.
CM: Georginio Wijnaldum – 6.5/10
The Dutchman was full of energy and running at the centre of the park but lacked the cutting edge in the final third.
RW: Mohamed Salah – 4/10
The Egyptian winger wasted a lot of good opportunities during the game and often threw away possession in the offensive end of the field. Salah has been way too selfish and will need to get his act together if he wants to win more trophies with Liverpool this season.
ST: Roberto Firmino – 6/10
The Brazilian striker took his goal well in the first half when he was left unmarked inside the Chelsea penalty box. However, he was guilty of putting in a lacklustre display in the second half.
LW: Sadio Mane – 5/10
The Senegalese speedster looked a bit tired during the match and his offensive performance suffered because of it. He will be hoping for better days on the road.
Substitutes:
CM: James Milner – 6/10
He added some energy and calmness to the Liverpool midfield.
CM: Adam Lallana – N/A
The English playmaker did not have enough time to make an impact on the game.
CB: Joe Gomez – N/A
He came off the bench to run the clock down and make the points secure for the away side.
