Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea: Here’s why these four players stood out

Both Liverpool and Chelsea were in similar situations going into this game, with both teams desperately needing a win, especially given the history between the two sides.

This match was many things. Boring wasn’t one of them.

Even before the 40th minute, it had been end-to-end, with both sets of forwards just falling short in the final third. The penalty Ryan Gravenberch conceded in the first half saw the Blues go 1-0 up. But just three minutes later, the Reds had pegged them back, also through a penalty.

The second half didn’t disappoint either. Despite how entertaining the game was, there weren’t many outstanding individual performances. Here are the few that stood out.

Moises Caicedo, Chelsea

Caicedo has a case for being the best player on the pitch, period.

His passing was good, although he came under plenty of pressure, as you would expect against Liverpool. His reading of the game, ball progression and chance creation were head and shoulders above everyone else.

He was one of the main reasons Chelsea were able to remain competitive throughout the game.

Wesley Fofana, Chelsea

Fofana’s story is quite intriguing when you remember that he conceded the penalty that brought the game level at 1-1. However, he had an outstanding showing, which isn’t something we’ve seen consistently from him.

He was as good on the ground as he was in the air, and his defending was very good, penalty notwithstanding.

His distribution was also impressive.

Rio Ngumoha, Liverpool

Ngumoha makes this list not least because he was the only Reds player who was consistently good.

The youngster unsettled Chelsea with his quick feet, and the Blues had no real way of containing him. In fact, he completed every take-on he attempted and won three fouls, suggesting Chelsea’s plan for stopping him was simply to kick him.

Ngumoha was also a major reason Andoni Iraola’s men were able to keep pressure on the away side throughout the game, especially with the Reds’ midfield giving the ball away for fun.

Ryan Gravenberch, Liverpool

Yes, he’s the one who made the list for how bad he was.

Unlike Fofana, who also gave away a penalty, Gravenberch was actually quite poor. He lost most of his duels and made zero positive defensive contributions.

His passing improved as the game went on, but not by much. He didn’t show the sharpness we’ve come to expect from him, making this an uncharacteristically poor performance.

In the end, it was a good game. Liverpool can walk away feeling like they deserved the result, although Chelsea will feel the same way considering how the game unfolded.

The penalties were very high quality, especially Liverpool’s.

Iraola’s men now turn their attention to the weekend as they prepare to face Arsenal, while Chelsea welcome Manchester United to Stamford Bridge to take on the under-pressure Michael Carrick.