Chelsea beat Liverpool 1-0 in a slightly odd game at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues were very passive in the opening period as the away side dominated and created more chances.
As the half wore on Liverpool got more and more control, but it was Chelsea who took the lead.
Tiemoue Bakayoko sprayed a fine ball out to the right, Victor Moses cut back and crossed it onto the head of Olivier Giroud, who angled a great header into the net.
The second half saw a return to the low tempo from earlier on, and Liverpool were unable to summon the energy to break down Chelsea’s solid block, while Chelsea didn’t look too intent on scoring another.
The game drifted away into the sunshine, and before long it was the final whistle.
Here are our ratings from today’s featured Chelsea players…
Starting Eleven:
Thibaut Courtois – 6 –Â Was well protected by his defence and didn’t have much to do.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 7 – Solid showing as always from the Spaniard.
Gary Cahill – 7 –Â Composed game in the middle of defence even as Liverpool’s pressure grew later on.
Antonio Rudiger- 7 – Made a great match for Mo Salah at the back and kept the Egyptian locked down.
Victor Moses – 7Â –Â Got forward well and set up the goal with a tall cross.
Tiemoue Bakayoko – 7 – A bright start with neat passing and some strong moves in midfield. Faded later on but a solid game overall.
Cesc Fabregas – 6 – Didn’t get as involved as he would have liked, even playing in a more advanced role.
Marcos Alonso – 6 –Â Defended well and almost scored goal of the season with a stunning volley.
N’Golo Kante – 8 – Got a massive round of applause for speeding back to stop a Liverpool counter early on. Great game in the middle.
Olivier Giroud- 6 – Struggled to get into the game until he scored the opener with a fantastic header.
Eden Hazard – 6 – Some brilliant moments but was never able to be decisive.
Substitutes:
Willian – 6 – Came on to give the team a much needed energy boost.
