Liverpool vs. Chelsea: Score, Grades and Reaction from Premier League Game

Diego Costa fired the winner as Chelsea came from behind to defeat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

The striker scored midway through the second half to secure all three points for Jose Mourinho’s side, after Gary Cahill cancelled out Emre Can’s fortuitous early strike in the first 15 minutes of the match.

Cahill was at the centre of a controversial late moment, however, the England defender perhaps fortunate not to concede a penalty after appearing to block Steven Gerrard’s speculative shot with his hand.

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Fantastic run from Azpilicueta and a tidy finish from Costa! https://t.co/NV4Bt3grDB

— TweetChelseaFC (@TweetChelseaFC) November 8, 2014"

Liverpool, having struggled for consistency in recent weeks, started the game brightly and were a match for the Blues for large parts of the contest, although their lack of inspiration in the final third was exposed the longer the game went on.

That will be the real disappointment for Brendan Rodgers, whose substitutions in the second half did not bring a significant impact.

Mourinho, in contrast, will be pleased with his side, who reverted to the low block and counter-attacking strategy—that, along with Gerrard’s slip, famously helped them win this fixture last season—only once they had taken the lead.

Speaking afterwards to BT Sport, the Portuguese said: "It was a fantastic performance. The team, as individuals and a group, all of them had a great performance. One point at Anfield, normally every team would accept that as a fantastic result, but the team did not accept that. I am really, really pleased."

Victory puts the Blues top of the table with 29 points from a possible 33 so far this season, guaranteeing them at least a four-point lead over their nearest rivals after 11 games. Liverpool remain on 14 points—with the low mood around the club obvious as the players and their manager trudged off at the final whistle. 

"I thought it was a clear penalty," Rodgers bemoaned, also speaking to BT Sport. "It was quite obvious, and the referee has a good view of it.

"It’s very disappointing because we deserved at least a point from the game for sure."

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

It did not take long for the game to spark into life as Can, a surprise name on the Liverpool teamsheet, ran into space on the edge of the Chelsea box after less than a minute, unleashing a powerful drive that deflected off John Terry and nearly found the top corner. Moments later, however, the German would be more fortunate.

The situation was almost a carbon copy of that first shot of the game; Can again getting in behind the Chelsea midfield and firing a shot on goal. This time the deflection was off Cahill, leaving Thibaut Courtois stranded as the ball arrowed into the opposite side of the goal.

That lifted an already intimidating and passionate atmosphere at Anfield, but it took just four minutes for the Blues to get on level terms.

Set pieces have been a weakness for Rodgers’ side all season and so it proved again, as Diego Costa met a corner and Terry directed it on target. Mignolet made a brilliant save to keep the attempt out, but the rebound fell perfectly for Cahill to lash it back in.

There was initially some debate about whether the goalkeeper had saved that effort, too, with the Premier League’s goal-line technology ultimately making the decision for referee Anthony Taylor.

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Goal Cahill (1-1*): #lfccfc http://t.co/9EYflyUwtL

— LSS Football News (@LSSfootyNews) November 8, 2014"

The rest of the first half was a tense, fiery affair, with both sets of players fighting doggedly for possession and territory.

Chelsea perhaps had the better chances—Eden Hazard, incisive as ever on the counter-attack, being denied on more than one occasion by desperate blocks from Liverpool defenders—but the home side possessed a threat of their own. Philippe Coutinho forced a finger-tip save from Courtois after more good work from Can, and Sterling appealed for a penalty after Cahill appeared to block it with his shoulder.

Chelsea also claimed a penalty on the stroke of half-time—a cross hitting Moreno on the arm, although he had tucked it tightly into his body—but the game was equally notable for some of the physical clashes that had become more frequent.

Raheem Sterling received a booking for a bodycheck on Ramires, although the youngster was given a dangerous forearm to the face for his troubles, while Taylor had to step in on more than one occasion as Costa and Martin Skrtel exchanged unpleasantries on and off the ball.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

The second half started brightly for Liverpool, with Sterling demanding a smart save from Courtois, but began to swing towards Chelsea as time progressed. It was Costa who delivered a first warning sign, the striker showing great improvisation as he reacted first to Oscar’s deflected shot, his overhead kick sailing only narrowly over the Liverpool crossbar from 10 yards out.

The decisive moment would come soon after. Azpilicueta, on a rare foray down the left, did well to keep the ball in by the touchline, before beating the lead-footed Coutinho with a nice piece of skill. That brought the Spaniard down to the byline, where he tried to pick out Oscar with a low cross with the outside of his boot.

Mignolet got a touch on the delivery to frustrate the Brazilian, but the ricochet only took the ball into the path of Costa, who lashed the chance into the net with the clinical touch he has long been famous for.

It was perhaps harsh on Liverpool, who had played a full part in what had become an engrossing contest, but there had been signs the Blues were beginning to ratchet up the tension.

Rodgers responded immediately with a double substitution, withdrawing Can and Coutinho and bringing on Fabio Borini and Joe Allen. The negative response to the switch among the Anfield crowd was noticeable—perhaps an indication of how patience is beginning to wear thin with the club’s start to the campaign.

It did have an impact, however, with Allen providing Henderson with a good opening minutes after his introduction. The midfielder’s shot appeared to be on target but was well-blocked by Cahill.

Balotelli, who had endured another mixed afternoon, was soon withdrawn, with Rickie Lambert getting 10 minutes to press his claim for greater involvement.

The Blues, who had earlier brought on Willian for Ramires, seemed to have settled deeper and deeper; Mourinho content to challenge his opponents to try and break them down, then hit them on the counter-attack if and when they failed.

That set the stage for much of the remainder of the game to be spent in and around the Chelsea box, with the hosts struggling to create a clear-cut chance.

Chelsea certainly rode their luck at time; for the second time Cahill was accused of blocking a shot with his hand, with television replays suggesting that on this occasion Gerrard had every right to feel aggrieved.

That was to be the final moment of real drama, with Chelsea seeing out the five minutes of injury time with the characteristic calm of any well-organised Mourinho side.

Another big win ticked off for Chelsea in what already seems to be an almost unstoppable run towards the Premier League title. For Liverpool, however, the few positives of the first half will be overshadowed by the frustrating and disappointing finish.

"I don’t know, it was too far from me," Mourinho concluded, when asked about the penalty claim. "The victory is very much deserved. One moment would not change the merit, the quality, the class the team had. My team was fantastic."

This was the third defeat in a week for Liverpool and Rodgers, who hopes the international break will allow the squad to regroup—and get striker Daniel Sturridge back.

"We have to keep working hard, and when we get some injured players back in we’ll have that threat up front we’ve had for the majority of my time here," he said. "It has been a tough week, but I’ve got a brilliant group of players here who work tirelessly."

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Player Ratings

Player	Rating
Simon Mignolet	6
Alberto Moreno	6
Dejan Lovren	6
Martin Skrtel	7
Glen Johnson	7
Steven Gerrard	6
Emre Can	7
Jordan Henderson	7
Philippe Coutinho	6
Raheem Sterling	7
Mario Balotelli	6
Substitutions
Fabio Borini	6
Joe Allen	7
Rickie Lambert	6

Player	Rating
Thibaut Courtois	7
Cesar Azpilicueta	8
John Terry	7
Gary Cahill	7
Branislav Ivanovic	7
Nemanja Matic	8
Cesc Fabregas	6
Ramires	6
Oscar	7
Eden Hazard	7
Diego Costa	7
Substitutions
Willian	6
Didier Drogba	n/a
Filipe Luis	n/a

What's Next?

The international break calls a temporary halt to domestic matters. Liverpool's next Premier League game is against Crystal Palace in London on Nov. 23. Chelsea, meanwhile, are scheduled to host West Bromwich Albion a day earlier.

All quotes taken from BT Sport's live post-match broadcast.