Chelsea player ratings at Anfield: The writing is on the wall
Chelsea made a mess of its chance to wrap up the race for a Champions League place at Liverpool, but how did the players perform on the day?
It was a bad day at the office for Chelsea. The Blues had a chance to become the first team to beat Liverpool at Anfield all season, and they squandered it. It’s a day to forget as the Blues still need just one-point to secure top four heading into the final match of the Premier League campaign.
Mistakes proved costly for Chelsea—as they so often do—in this one. The champions made the Blues pay on trophy celebration night, scoring multiple world class goals on their way to a 5-3 win. Chelsea was punished from the off; here’s how the players performed:
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Goalkeeper): 4
Arrizabalaga allowed five goals on seven shots on target, need I say more? The Spaniard’s positioning has been awful all season and this game cemented that fact. He’s got the worst save percentage in the Premier League by a country mile. Arrizabalaga was the only change to the starting XI from the weekend, so it’s becoming increasingly clear what his future at Chelsea is looking like. The Blues are going to replace him, regardless of whether or not they find a suitor for his services.
Cesar Azpilicueta (Right centerback): 6
There wasn’t much more Azpilicueta could’ve done to stop the bleeding today. He wasn’t good—as the Liverpool press contained him a defensive position dissimilar to his attacking role against Man United—but he wasn’t bad either. It was an average outing for the skipper in a bad defensive performance.
Kurt Zouma (Centerback): 7
The rumors of Zouma’s exit are truly concerning. At this point in time, he looks like the only consistent, competent Chelsea center half. The Frenchman made some impressive last-ditch tackles at Anfield, per usual. Allowing five goals prevents any defender from having a good day, but Zouma’s performance was far better than that of his defensive counterparts.
Antonio Rudiger (Left centerback): 5
Rudiger has the talent to be one of the Premier League’s best centerbacks, but his lack of awareness and inconsistency prevents that. He looked lost on multiple occasions against Liverpool, with his poor clearances and unexplainable positioning taking center stage. Rudiger is a shell of his former self, he better be glad he’s a good recruiter or his Chelsea career would be coming to a close.