Liverpool 1-2 Chelsea: Hits and Flops from the game
Chelsea scripted a stunning comeback at Anfield to register a 2-1 win over Liverpool in their Carabao Cup third round clash on Wednesday night. Maurizio Sarri's men showcased tremendous character to knock the hosts out of the competition in their own backyard in what proved to be a classic cup tie on Merseyside.
The first half was fairly open as the teams created chances at both ends, but struggled to find the killer touch that would break the deadlock. Alvaro Morata failed to beat Simon Mignolet when he was played through on goal, courtesy of a defence-splitting pass from Cesc Fabregas, while Willy Caballero conjured a number of saves at the other end to maintain parity between the two sides at half-time.
Liverpool settled in well during the second half and missed a golden opportunity to break the deadlock when Daniel Sturridge blasted a shot wide from a narrow angle after taking aim at an empty goal. However, the former Chelsea striker redeemed himself with an acrobatic finish in the 58th minute when he found the back of the net after Caballero had parried away a shot into his path.
The Reds were in cruise control up until the final 15 minutes, but soon Chelsea clawed their way back into the game through Emerson Palmieri in the 79th minute. Eden Hazard, who came off the bench, dispatched a sublime delivery from a set-piece and Ross Barkley forced a save from Simon Mignolet, only for Emerson to pounce on the lose ball and slot it home for the equalizer.
A moment of individual brilliance from Hazard in the 85th minute helped the visitors mount an unbelievable comeback as they became the first team to beat Liverpool this season, and extended their unbeaten run at Anfield across all competitions to nine now. On that note, let's take a closer look at the five best and worst performers from the clash.
#5 Hit - Xherdan Shaqiri (Liverpool)
The winger was handed a second consecutive start by Jurgen Klopp on the night and he troubled the Chelsea defenders with his quick feet and trademark sprints. Emerson in particular had a difficult time dealing with Xherdan Shaqiri whenever he took the defender on, as he was allowed too much space in behind to make runs and operate on his own terms.
Shaqiri also managed to pick out his teammates with a pass in crucial areas of the pitch, but was largely let down by Liverpool's wasteful nature, especially in the first half. The 26-year-old proved to be a real handful whenever he had the ball at his feet and was constantly trying to make things happen while pushing forward.
The Switzerland international was also available to receive a pass whenever his teammates wanted to get out of tight areas and worked tirelessly down the right flank throughout the game.