Chelsea slumped to another FA Cup final defeat against Liverpool after playing 0-0 and losing 5-6 on penalties at Wembley Stadium. The Wembley curse seems likely not to end anytime soon as the Blues could not banish the memories of the Carabao Cup final in February. They tasted defeat from 12 yards out against Jurgen Klopp’s men yet again on Saturday as the Reds earned their second decisive trophy win over Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
It was one way traffic from the onset with Chelsea having to batten down the hatches to endure constant pressure from the Merseyside outfit. But the best chances actually came via Christian Pulisic and Marcos Alonso, serving a timely reminder of the Blues’ threat on the counter. The affair ended goalless at the interval, with both teams having a case of feeling like they should have taken the win one way or the other.
Things turned around as the game-play was reversed after the break. The World Champions were pulling the strings on big chances, including a free kick from Alonso that hit the bar with Alisson Becker well beaten out. However, it didn’t last long with the Reds hitting the woodwork twice in a matter of minutes as regulation time drew close. The certainty of extra time became brighter and brighter, and after a quiet thirty minutes from both sides, it was time for the game to be decided by penalties. The unexplainable happened, with Alisson denying Mason Mount in sudden death.
It was a real tough pill to swallow for Tuchel’s men, here’s how The Pride of London rated the players’ performances in the FA Cup Final:
Edouard Mendy (Goalkeeper): 8/10
Edouard Mendy has a big save early in the game to stop Luis Diaz from opening the scoring. He showed confidence in this match and he was confident whenever the ball was at his feet. Mendy made a fine stop to deny his countryman—Sadio Mane—on penalties.
Trevoh Chalobah (Right centerback): 8/10
Trevoh Chalobah was given a tough assignment against Columbian forward Diaz, who made darting runs behind far too often. Suffice it to say, the young lad did exceptionally well. The English international made a vital tackle on the Colombian in the first half to go with some top last ditch defending late on. Chalobah was neat in possession and tidy all game, it was good to see the Blues’ future is in safe hands. He was brought off for Cesar Azpilicueta late on.
Thiago Silva (Centerback): 7/10
In the early stages of the game, there were worries the Brazilian ace would have to be withdrawn early in another big final, but he shook it off to put in a steady performance against a scintillating Liverpool side. Thiago Silva made blocks left and right, and he was one of the reasons Chelsea kept a cleansheet in the contest.
Antonio Rudiger (Left centerback): 8/10
The German was in his usual brilliant form. He showed why Real Madrid gave him a four-year contract and added a heavy release clause to his contract, even at his age. Antonio Rudiger was always in the thick of the action and not afraid to get stuck in. He kept a steady head and kept Mohamed Salah—and later Diogo Jota—in check. Rudiger wasn’t given enough space to break into the opposition half and make his usual shot or runs down the middle, but he was impressive overall on the biggest stage once again.
Reece James (Right wingback): 9/10
Inch-perfect is an ideal word to describe Reece James’ performance on Saturday as he was one of Chelsea’s best players. Defensively, he was so astute as he gave the Liverpool forwards a really tough time. He also provided some excellent service at the top end of the pitch. James created chances that went begging and ones that will haunt the squad for a while as there was no-one grateful enough to receive them.
Jorginho (Central midfielder): 8/10
Jorghino’s presence in the middle of the park gave this game a far more controlled dynamic from Chelsea’s point of view, especially in comparison other games where it has played without him. He captained the team and did an excellent job for the entirety of match. Jorginho played a couple of long balls over the top that could not be converted by the forwards; he was also one of the few players that played the entire 120 minutes of the match.
Mateo Kovacic (Central midfielder): 7/10
Paired in the middle of the park with Jorghino, the two controlled Chelsea’s engine room perfectly.
With barely any room to breathe, the Croatian dynamo did well a number of times to escape from the grasps of a hungry sea of Reds players. Mateo Kovacic was not fully fit going into the big occasion, and that was so very obvious, but it was an admirable performance he put up in Wembley. He was withdrawn for N’Golo Kante in the 66′ and he had given his all by the time he was substituted off after the hour-mark.
Marcos Alonso (Left wingback): 9/10
It is safe to say Marcos Alonso was brilliant. He constantly caused headaches by marauding the left wing, keeping Trent Alexander-Arnold on his toes all game. The Spaniard was a constant threat and another day he’d have been the hero in a game of fine margins. He forced a fine save from Alisson in the first half and he was unlucky to hit the bar in the second from a direct free kick. Defensively, Alonso was very solid too and he—alongside Rudiger—kept the Liverpool forwards from causing any damage.
Mason Mount (Right winger): 6/10
In a game where he was expected to make his mark, the England star simply didn’t turn up for this contest. Chelsea’s talisman started on the right wing and he was neat and tidy enough when in possession, but struggled to exert his usually hefty influence upon the match. Mason Mount’s crosses from corners were the highlights of the night as they were poor and without purpose. He was also one of the players who played the whole 120 minutes at Wembley. Unfortunately, Mount also missed the vital penalty, for which he will not forgive himself.
Romelu Lukaku (Striker): 5/10
Whenever Romelu Lukaku plays for Chelsea, he often leaves a lot to be desired. As much as the Belgian seemed sharp after recent performances, he just didn’t factor enough into the proceedings to make the huge impact that his form promised he could. He had heavy first touches, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate dealt with him with consummate ease. The Belgian had a chance that he should have buried in the first half, but he parried it over the bar. Lukaku looked uncomfortable whenever the ball was on his weaker foot and tended to break play when trying to switch it to his stronger foot. He was substituted off for Hakim Ziyech.
Christian Pulisic (Left winger): 8/10
It was a positive performance as a whole by the American, who showed great feet under severe pressure on a number of occasions. All while setting up a couple of decent chances for his peers in what is clearly his best role. Captain America—as he is fondly called—started out on the left wing and alongside Alonso, wrecked havoc on the Liverpool defence. His unfortunate miss halfway through the first half was agonising, but he created some big chances which should have been buried. Christian Pulisic made impressive darting runs and fluid touches to get past players all afternoon. He looked frustrated when substituted as he probably felt his day was not yet finished. A brilliant performance overall, it was great to see the old Pulisic again.
N’Golo Kante (Central midfielder): 6/10
N’Golo Kante as brought on in the 66′ to make sure the Chelsea engine room was still running and to bring in energy to the centre of the pitch when others were waning. Though not at his best, the Frenchman was found constantly pressing and trying to win the ball back. He made a last ditch tackle on Diaz, who was so close to scoring late on. Overall, a decent return to action for Kante.
Hakim Ziyech (Winger): 5/10
Ziyech was brought on in the 85′ for a struggling Lukaku. He had some nice ideas on display, but his distribution lacked proper execution. The Moroccan was rusty, which was generally unsurprising given his lack of minutes recently.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Striker): 4/10
Ruben Loftus-Cheek was brought on to replace Pulisic and later taken off for Ross Barkley as it looked like Tuchel was gambling with his squad. He was a little overeager and excited, holding the ball up for too long and even giving the ball away more often than not. Loftus-Cheek had some questionable ball control as he looked way off the mark. This is probably why he was substituted off after just 14 minutes on the pitch.
Cesar Azpilicueta (Right centerback): 5/10
Azpilicueta was brought on in 105′ to replace Chalobah before penalties. A lot was expected of the skipper, as he is no stranger to finals—his 13th final with the Blues—yet, he’ll be distraught to have struck the post in the penalty shootout. It was simply the beginning of Chelsea’s fall.
Ross Barkley (Striker): N/A
Ross Barkley was brought on for Loftus-Cheek after 14 minutes of him being on the pitch. Barkley managed to score his penalty.
What rating would you give to each of the players? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!