Liverpool players rated after 1-1 draw against Chelsea
Liverpool drop frustrating points in 1-1 stalemate with Chelsea
Liverpool put in the kind of performance that always leaves Anfield grumbling, sharp and energetic in bursts, but oddly flat just when the game was there for the taking. Ryan Gravenberch gave the Reds a dream start, bending in a lovely opener after just six minutes.
However, Enzo Fernández pulled Chelsea level with a smart free-kick before the break. Despite a frantic second half with plenty of openings, a winner never came. Chelsea turned up at Anfield on the back of six straight league defeats, yet Liverpool, sitting fourth and scraping for a Champions League spot, couldn’t make their home advantage count.
Player-by-player breakdown for the Reds
Giorgi Mamardashvili — 7/10. Back in the side after two games out, the Georgian pulled off a big save to keep out Fernández before half-time and looked solid whenever Chelsea piled on the pressure late on. His passing out from the back was spot on.
Curtis Jones — 5/10. Marking Cole Palmer in that free-roaming role was a nightmare for Jones on the right. Palmer seemed to find space behind him at will. He worked hard enough off the ball, but his positioning left him far too vulnerable.
Ibrahima Konaté — 6/10. Generally solid in his individual battles, though Chelsea’s quick one-twos occasionally caught him out of position.
Virgil van Dijk — 6/10. Had a massive chance from close range but couldn’t keep his header down. While he won almost everything in the air, there’s no hiding that the equaliser came far too easily from a simple set-piece.
Milos Kerkez — 6/10. Back at left-back after a rest, Kerkez didn’t stop running and provided plenty of width, even if his final delivery was a bit hit-and-miss.
Ryan Gravenberch — 8/10. A class act. He took his goal beautifully, curling it past the keeper early on, and remained a constant threat through the center. He even set up a great chance for Szoboszlai in the second half. Easily Liverpool’s standout performer.
Alexis Mac Allister — 6/10. Tidy as ever on the ball, the Argentine kept things moving but never quite managed to grab the game by the scruff of the neck in midfield.
Jeremie Frimpong — 6/10. Showed real intent every time he moved forward, drawing a sharp save from Jørgensen with a low, driven effort. His pace down the right flank kept the Chelsea backline on edge all afternoon.
Dominik Szoboszlai — 7/10. Was whiskers away from winning it in the 71st minute when his long-range blast rattled the woodwork. He’d already forced a good save earlier and was the main reason Liverpool kept their tempo up in attack.
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Rio Ngumoha — 6/10. Facing his old club at just 17, he showed glimpses of what he can do and won a few smart fouls. However, things got a bit messy as the game went on, and the crowd’s patience started to wear thin before he was swapped for Isak.
Cody Gakpo — 5/10. A very quiet afternoon. His movement was a bit too easy to read, and he never really managed to link up play in a way that bothered Chelsea’s defenders.
Substitutes make little impression
Alexander Isak — 5/10. Brought on to find a breakthrough, but found it tough to hold up the ball under pressure in what became a very scrappy finale.
Federico Chiesa — 5/10. Showed a bit of life after coming on, but there wasn’t enough time left for him to really change the course of the match.
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A chorus of boos followed the final whistle as Liverpool let two huge points slip against a team that hadn’t won in over a month. This felt like a massive blow to their hopes of securing a top-four finish.
