Chelsea 2 Liverpool 1: Player ratings as Hazard and Eto’o strike

Chelsea

Petr Cech The Chelsea number one made a series of routine saves but was never seriously tested by the visitors. 7/10

Branislav Ivanovic Lapse marking contributed to Skrtel’s opener. Replaced just after the half-hour mark with an injury. 4

Gary Cahill Solid performance against a potential World Cup opponent. Did receive a booking for a forceful challenge on Suarez. 6

John Terry Rarely tested by Suarez or Coutinho. The veteran appears to be forming a strong partnership with Cahill. 6

Cesar Azpilicueta Shifted to right-back following Ivanovic’s injury. He performed well as he limited Coutinho’s impact on the game. 7

David Luiz Impressive display in a deep-lying midfield position. Helped overpower Liverpool trio Allen, Henderson and Lucas. 7

Frank Lampard Hit a rasping shot which forced a full-stretch save from Mignolet. Substituted at half-time due to a thigh injury. 6

Willian A powerful force down the right wing as the Brazilian gave Johnson a torrid afternoon. Tracked back well, too. 8

Oscar Teed up Eto’o for his 34th-minute strike. The South American was the least effective of Chelsea’s attacking midfielders. 6

Eden Hazard Scored an excellent equaliser with a curling effort past Mignolet. The Belgian was a driving force breaking from midfield, particularly in the first half. 8

Samuel Eto’o Netted his third Premier League goal of the season with a close-range finish. However, the striker was fortunate to be on the pitch after a reckless challenge on Henderson went unpunished. Luck was on his side again after the interval when he clashed with Suarez off the ball. 7.

Substitutes

Ashley Cole Effortlessly slotted into the line-up at left-back. 6

John Obi Mikel Ensured Chelsea played with the handbrake on in the second half and protected their lead. 6

Liverpool

Simon Mignolet Superb save to palm Lampard’s shot over the crossbar. Will be disappointed with Eto’o’s goal after the striker’s shot squirmed away from the Reds goalkeeper. 6

Glen Johnson Sloppy in possession. Struggled against Willian. One of the right-back’s worst performances in a Liverpool shirt since joining in 2010. 3

Daniel Agger Out of position at left-back. Didn’t look overly comfortable going forward and supporting Coutinho. 5

Martin Skrtel Showed great awareness to fire past Cech to score Liverpool’s only goal. Produced a number of timely tackles to prevent Chelsea extending their lead. 7

Mamadou Sakho Inadvertently teed up Hazard for the Belgian’s first-half strike. Had a header crash against the crossbar. Limped off injured in the closing moments. 6

Lucas Uncharacteristically wasteful in possession. 5

Joe Allen Had a couple of opportunities to test Cech but was outmuscled in midfield. Struggled against Luiz and Mikel. 5

Jordan Henderson After a series of excellent performances, Henderson lacked energy against the Blues. 5

Raheem Sterling Bright start. Liverpool’s standout performer on the right wing as he offered an outlet for a midfield devoid of ideas. 7

Philippe Coutinho His superbly-angled free-kick created confusion in the Chelsea area for Skrtel’s goal. However, the Brazilian struggled to carve open the Chelsea defence. 5

Luis Suarez His movement led to Skrtel’s early strike. The Uruguayan’s only notable effort was a volley which Cech scooped gratefully into his chest. 6

Substitutes

Brad Smith The 19-year-old made his Reds debut as Liverpool’s lack of depth was exposed. 5

Iago Aspas N/A

Kolo Toure N/A