[Player Ratings] Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea: How Mourinho’s Men Rated At Anfield

Chelsea put themselves back in contention for the Premier League title with a 2-0 win over top of the table Liverpool at Anfield. Here are player ratings for Jose Mourinho’s men from Joe Carroll.

Demba Ba took advantage of a Steven Gerrard slip in first half injury-time, running clean through on goal before tucking the ball underneath Simon Mignolet.

Liverpool then laid siege to the Chelsea goal but non of their 26 shots could find a way past stand-in keeper Mark Schwarzer, and with time ticking away, substitute and ex-Kop idol Fernando Torres raced clear before passing for Willian to tap in the second.

Jose Mourinho was criticised before the game for suggesting he would field a weakened team so it will delight the Cheslea fans to see such a hard-fought performance from several squad players result in three points.

Chelsea are now two points behind Liverpool with the same number of games played and the result takes the league title out of the Merseysider’s hands and over to Manchester City. Should they win their game in hand, City will draw level on points with Liverpool with a superior goal-difference.

Here are my Chelsea player ratings:

Schwarzer- 8- took some flak for his performance against Sunderland, a defeat which looked to have killed off Chelsea’s title hopes but the stopper was in fine form at Anfield. Made some good saves from Steven Gerrard and was commanding of his area.

Cole- 8- if there was any doubt that the England veteran should be left behind when the national team head off to Brazil in June, they will be banished now. A very experienced performance- was never beaten on his side.

Kalas- 7- an excellent showing from the 20 year-old in what was just his third appearance for Chelsea. Read the game superbly and put his body on the line time and time again. Also went close in the first half with a header.

Ivanovic- 8- although a centre-half by trade, the Serb has hardly played in the middle of defence in a Chelsea shirt. But he looked like he had never played anywhere else at Anfield and led the line in Terry’s absence.

Azpilicueta- 7- for one of the smaller members of their back line, the Spaniard used his body and presence to great effect to deny Coutinho and Sterling. Denied Liverpool the space to cross from the right.

Mikel- 7- showed his strengths in a game which suited his style of play. Offered a tough screen ahead of his defence.

Matic- 7- robust and strong in the tackle. Vital in helping launch Chelsea counter attacks while offering defensive surety.

Schurrle- 8- ran himself into the ground to the extent the German was on the floor with cramp before being substituted late on. Worked hard to get back behind the ball when Liverpool had possession and almost scored in the second half, coming inside and testing Mignolet form outside the box.

Lampard- 7- played as a more advanced midfielder ahead of Matic and Mikel but more often than not Lampard could be seen tucking in to form an impenetrable defensive midfield trio. Never gave the ball away which helped relieve the pressure when Liverpool lost possession.

Salah- 7- operated on the left side and gave Johnson a tough time when going forward. Capable of keeping the ball in tough situations which will please Mourinho and had the discipline to stick to the game-plan and track back.

Ba- 7- an impressive first half preceded a toilsome second. Held the ball in well before pouncing on Gerrard’s mistake, keeping his cool to put the visitors ahead.

Subs

Willian- 8- as good a performance from a substitute as you’ll see. Slotted into Chelsea’s system perfectly, letting nothing go defensively while offering a tremendous threat on the counter attack. Great support in injury time to keep up with Torres before passing into an empty net. The scenes in the away end when the Brazilian tapped in the second were incredible.

Cahill- 6- came on for Schurrle and seemed to slot into a back five as the third centre half. Was dependable and brave.

Torres- 6- a Kop-idol for so many years before his £50m transfer to Cheslea, the Spaniard’s appearance was low-key until he passed up the opportunity to torment his old employers personally, instead passing for Willian to add the finishing gloss to the score-line.

What did you think of Chelsea’s performance at Anfield?…Was it a Mourinho master-stoke?…Who stood out for you?…The title is still out of their hands, but can Chelsea keep the pressure on City and Liverpool and take advantage of another slip up?…Are you confident of dispatching Athletico Madrid to reach the Champions League final in mid-week?…please leave you comments below…