Add it to the column of “draws that feel like losses.”
After taking a 1-0 lead at home within six minutes against a Chelsea side that had lost six consecutive league matches entering Saturday, Liverpool once again failed to show the quality needed to see out a victory, settling for a disappointing 1-1 draw.
Chelsea now join Man City and Man United as yet another Big Six side Liverpool have failed to beat this season — further evidence of the reigning champions’ miserable title defense.
With another frustrating result in the books, did any players manage to stand out individually and prove their value to the team?
Starting XI:
Giorgi Mamardashvili: 7/10- Ultimately, Giorgi made a handful of good stops and looked sharp coming off his line, but he was caught out by an Enzo Fernández free kick that drifted all the way through untouched as he stood rooted, anticipating a deflection.
Overall, it was a solid, though not standout, performance, and his distribution remains an area that still needs improvement.
Virgil van Dijk: 6.5/10- It feels ironic to write this about a defender, but Virgil’s lack of a clinical edge played a major role in the result. He missed a glorious chance to make it 2-0 in the first half, failing to apply a striker’s finish to an in-swinging set-piece delivery at the back post, before later seeing a header crash off the crossbar. Unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet, he otherwise turned in a fairly solid defensive performance.
Ibrahima Konate: 6/10- Was consistently troubled by Marc Cucurella throughout the match, with the Frenchman once again looking short of the level required for the occasion. It was telling that he was withdrawn in the 77th minute, as Arne Slot seemingly no longer trusted him to remain on the pitch with the game hanging in the balance.
Curtis Jones: 6.5/10- Like Konaté, he was repeatedly troubled by Chelsea’s attack down his side of the pitch after several strong defensive performances at right-back in recent weeks. He still offered a decent amount going forward — particularly in the second half — but overall, this was a disappointing display from a defensive standpoint.
Milos Kerkez: 7/10- Was clearly the stronger of Liverpool’s two fullbacks on the day, with Milos consistently driving the ball forward with purpose while also contributing several quality tackles defensively.
This season has undoubtedly been a learning curve for him, and while he can still hesitate a bit too much in the final third for my liking, it’s obvious he has grown significantly in a Liverpool shirt since the start of the campaign.
Ryan Gravenberch: 8/10- What a hit. Amid a highly disappointing season that has too often lacked both collective cohesion and individual quality, Gravy added to his surprisingly impressive goal contribution tally with a strike of the highest caliber to put Liverpool ahead early on.
Considering the Reds likely would have lost to a currently dreadful Chelsea side without his moment of brilliance, that alone is enough to earn him Man of the Match honors for me.
Alexis Mac Allister: 7/10- Was a bit passive in the first half, but came alive after the break with a tremendous work rate, particularly defensively, as he put together several excellent tackles to disrupt a Chelsea side that had found its rhythm. It’s been a difficult season for Macca overall, but this was an encouraging performance from him on the day.
Dominik Szoboszlai: 7/10- As usual, he seemed to cover more ground than anyone else in a Liverpool shirt, while several of his long-range efforts forced strong saves from the Chelsea goalkeeper.
Overall, it was a solid performance that capped off a collective midfield display which was comfortably head and shoulders above the rest of the team in terms of quality.
Rio Ngumoha: 7.5/10- Won’t be credited with an easier assist for a while, but he still provided plenty of creativity and spark in possession. His substitution was met with a roar of boos from the Kop — a reaction that perhaps says a lot about the current mood and tension within the fanbase at the moment.
Jeremie Frimpong: 6.5/10- It was yet another match in which Jeremie struggled to make much of an impact. Liverpool found their rhythm down the left through Kerkez and Ngumoha, but even when he did see plenty of the ball, his deliveries lacked conviction and the dribbling spark we’ve seen in flashes this season was largely absent.
He can be afforded some leeway given right wing is still not his preferred position, but it’s nevertheless been a disappointing stretch for the Dutchman.
Cody Gakpo: 6/10- He didn’t receive much service in this one, but Cody was the most anonymous Liverpool player on the pitch before being withdrawn in the 77th minute. Once again, while being asked to play as a central striker, finishing the match without a single shot is a poor return for a player of his experience. It’s another subdued display in what has been his most difficult season in a Liverpool shirt.
Substitutes:
Alexander Isak: 6/10- A brief cameo coming back from injury was once again uneventful. A few neat flicks and tidy passes simply isn’t what you expect from a £130 million “super-sub.” He’ll need a huge off-season to ensure he’s ready to come out firing and silence any talk of him not meeting expectations at the start of next campaign.
Joe Gomez and Federico Chiesa: N/A- Little to no impact after entering in the 76th minute.
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