Chelsea player ratings: 10-man Blues frustrate Liverpool
Reece James (Right wingback): 5/10
One glance at the VAR screen was enough for Anthony Taylor to give a penalty against James, followed by a red card for what the referee deemed to be deliberate handball and prevention of a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Whether or not that was the right call is a question that will be asked over the next few days. Nonetheless, James saw red, and Liverpool equalized from the resulting spot-kick.
Jorginho (Central midfielder): 7/10
2020 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Jorginho had his sloppy moments, especially with the ball at his feet. However, he was solid defensively in the second half and often helped Chelsea escape pressure with quick passes into the feet of his teammates.
N’Golo Kante (Central midfielder): 7/10
N’Golo Kante was at his usual best in the first half of the game—breaking down Liverpool attacks and sparking them for Chelsea. However, the Frenchman was subbed off during the interval because of a knock he picked up during the first period.
Marcos Alonso (Left wingback): 6/10
Marcos Alonso struggled against Mohamed Salah in the first half. The Spaniard was often caught out of position as the reds quickly circulated the ball between themselves and subsequently out wide. Furthermore, James’ sending off and Liverpool’s resulting spot-kick sprang out of a miscommunication between he and Mendy. Nonetheless, Alonso redeemed himself ever so slightly in the second half. He was attentive to the threat of Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold and was willing to run up the pitch to join the attack when possible.
Mateo Kovacic (Central midfielder): 8/10
Mateo Kovacic came on for Kante ahead of the second period. The Croat boosts a different profile than that of the Frenchman. To that end, he didn’t hustle and harry his opponents to try and win the ball back. Instead, he kept shape, was alert to opposition runners, and tried to calm the play down whenever possible. A late opportunity came his way when he was sent through on goal by Lukaku, but his shot was saved by Alisson.
Trevoh Chalobah (Central midfielder): N/A
Trevoh Chalobah came on as a late substitute for Jorginho and took his place in central midfield. He defended well but made too short of an appearance to have any lasting impact.