Chelsea player ratings: 10-man Blues frustrate Liverpool
It was the sweet silence of the Kop, which made Kai Havertz’s opening goal for Chelsea against Liverpool all the more enjoyable for the Blues faithful. The German stuck out his neck to meet a Reece James corner, and the ball looped over the desperate Alisson into the net. Silence gave way to chaos as the clock struck 45′. A Liverpool corner, poorly dealt with by Chelsea, led to a penalty for the Reds and a subsequent red card for James—the Englishman adjudged to have deliberately prevented a goal-scoring opportunity. Former Blue Mohamed Salah netted from the spot.
Much has been made of Chelsea’s defensive resilience ever since Thomas Tuchel took over the team. It was that defensive resilience that helped the Blues shut out a frustrated home side for the remaining 45 minutes. The Reds looked for an opening in the Chelsea defense but were unable to find any; when they did, they were met by the strong wrists of Edouard Mendy. Chelsea celebrated as if it had won the game when the referee blew the final whistle—it meant just that much to the team. Meanwhile, Liverpool and Klopp cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines, knowing that they had dropped two valuable points.
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Here’s how the players fared in this clash.
Eduoard Mendy (Goalkeeper): 9.5/10
Mendy stepped up big time for his team in the second half as the Blues defended the space in front of their goal with their backs against the wall. The custodian made several good stops to preserve his goal, commanded his area well, and eased the pressure on his defense through long kicks towards Romelu Lukaku. The Senegal international looked unbeatable out on the pitch, and his performance was deserving of the Man of the Match award, even if he didn’t get one.
Cesar Azpilicueta (Centerback): 9/10
It was his birthday, but he was the one doing the gifting. Cesar Azpilicueta gave his teammates, coach and fans a brilliant defensive performance. Azpilicueta started as the right centerback and moved further up the pitch once James was shown the red card. The 32-year-old was attentive to the threat carried by Sadio Mane and the overlapping Andrew Robertson and dealt well with both of them.
Andreas Christensen (Centerback): 9/10
The Dane hardly put a foot wrong during Liverpool’s second-half attack. He headed the ball away to safety multiple times, made numerous challenges and helped prevent the opposition attackers breach the Chelsea goal.
Antonio Rudiger (Centerback): 7.5/10
Antonio Rudiger’s first-half display left some causes for concern. The German didn’t deal particularly well with the threat of Salah on the right; both he and Marcos Alonso were left exposed constantly. However, he improved after the interval and helped the Blues preserve their point.
Thiago Silva (Centerback): 8/10
Thiago Silva looked spry and alert for his first appearance of the season. The veteran centerback entered the pitch after the break as a tactical sub, as Tuchel decided to keep his team’s defensive shape by sacrificing one of the attackers. He fought off the Liverpool forwards and their many onslaughts in the second half and helped the Blues secure a point.