Gary Cahill was immense, Luis Suarez was limited to bleating to the Referee for the most part, Eden Hazard and Willian were fantastic and from one to eleven after going a goal down early on, Chelsea showed the fight and determination to overturn a good Liverpool team to win the game 2-1!
Both sides contributed to a really good game and as Jose Mourinho said afterwards, both sides were giving it their all right up to the final whistle.
Of course the injuries to Frank Lampard and Branislav Ivanovic were a negative from the game but there were numerous positives to take from it!
As I stated, Gary Cahill was different class yesterday. Every time the ball was played up to Suarez, Cahill was up his arse to win the ball back or to shut him down. JT organised things next to him and Cesar Azpilicueta played well at both left and right back. An additional mention for Ashley Cole to come on and play well after being left out for a game such as this one.
David Luiz pushed up into midfield did well. Whether or not the booking he picked up was "intentional" is another thing but at least he has a week off to go to Portugal as Jose stated in the post match interview!
Frank Lampard was doing OK also until his injury and once again, Mikel who replaced him came on and gave us some additional insurance in front of our back four.
Oscar was as busy as always. I think the jury is out with him being a better number 10 than Juan Mata but you have to hold your hands up to his defensive work without the ball.
Willian had his best game in a Chelsea shirt and was everywhere. Playing on the opposite side to Hazard, he got himself really involved in the game and if we can just add that end product to his game, we could finally see what we had been used to for Shakhtar.
As for Eden Hazard? What can you say about him that hasn't already been said? You watch these games and always have a look at how the opposition approach marking him or closing him down. Yesterday, he tormented Liverpool time and time again starting on the right and cutting inside. He has such close control and quick feet. It's his ability to read when his opponent will make a move to tackle him that puts him head and shoulders above others for me.
He took his goal wonderfully well and gave the keeper no chance. A well placed first time effort into the roof of the net from the edge of the box is something we hope we will see more and more from him.
Quite simply Eden Hazard can be as good as he wants to be!
Samuel Eto'o played OK as well didn't he. He was a lucky boy with his challenge early on but I do not think there was anything of real malice or intent in it. It was a forwards challenge and miss-timed.
He took his goal well. The fact he remained alive in the box to anticipate the cross from Oscar to get ahead of his marker was good and luckily, the keeper could do little with the ball to stop it.
I was pleased that Torres came on but disappointed he didn't get on earlier. The one chance he created for himself nearly led to a goal but if that had gone in, it would have been the icing on the cake!
As for the "contentious" decisions? I have already spoken of Eto'o's one. I believe after seeing the replay that we should have been given a penalty for the Lucas challenge on Hazard. If you look again, Hazard knocks the ball past him before the contact was made. Lucas could do nothing to avoid coming together with him and a penalty should have been given!
As for the Azpilicueta/Eto'o challenge on Suarez, I have seen them given and would not have been surprised but the fact that Howard Webb was standing right there and point blank refused to give it says it all.
I personally think that Webb's view was that he made a meal of it whereas if he had gone down naturally, it may have been different!
Who cares, they weren't given, Chelsea won 2-1 and we took an all important three points!
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