Fabinho was underwhelming again as a sub-par Liverpool were booted out of the FA Cup after being handed a 2-0 defeat by Chelsea on Tuesday.
Liverpool dominated the proceedings from the get-go, but hardly tested Kepa Arrizabalaga in the first 10 minutes or so. The Reds then fell behind when Fabinho lost possession to Willian, who unleashed a powerfully driven shot. The shot, though, was straight at Adrian, who made a meal of a straightforward save, as Chelsea grabbed the lead.
Liverpool were then frustrated further when Kepa Arrizabala made a fantastic triple save to deny Divock Origi, Sadio Mane and Curtis Jones. Thereafter, though, the Reds hardly posed a threat in front of goal and their misery was complete when Ross Barkley doubled Chelsea’s lead just past the hour mark.
The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Jurgen Klopp’s men after their FA Cup ouster.
Adrian: 4/10
While Fabinho was surely to be blamed for letting Willian even have a sight at goal, Adrian should have done better in dealing with the shot that came his way. The Spaniard did make a few decent stops, but was then unable to deny Ross Barkley, whose fiercely driven shot flew past him. A poor day at work.
Neco Williams: 5/10
Given another chance to make an impression in a cup contest, Neco Williams started the game on a strong note but steadily declined in levels. The youngster was up against it in his battle with Pedro, while going forward, he lost possession an alarming 30 times and his end product was not at par. A big learning curve for the youngster.
Joe Gomez: 5/10
Back in the side after recovering from a knock, Gomez was identified as the weak link at the heart of the Liverpool defence, with Olivier Giroud constantly targeting him. The long balls that came his way became a big tormentor for the Englishman. A game to forget for the usually consistent Gomez.
Virgil van Dijk: 5/10
It was an all-action performance by van Dijk. But, once again, the Liverpool stand-in skipper failed to keep the backline organised, with Chelsea enjoying some fine openings on the night. Worked hard on an individual level, making 5 clearances while winning 8 aerial duels. However, he needs to get back to keeping the defence disciplined.
Andrew Robertson: 4/10
A difficult evening for Robertson, whose indifferent run continues. While the Scot did play in three key passes, he could not make an impact in the final third consistently. At the back, he struggled, first against Willian then Mason Mount and lost the ball as many as 17 times. Need to arrest the rut.
Adam Lallana: 5/10
Lallana was one of the better players for Liverpool, making some dangerous runs off the ball while typically working hard off the ball. However, there were times when the game seemed to pass him by as well, which enabled Chelsea to pounce in the crunch moments.
Fabinho: 4/10
It just is not going right for Fabinho at the moment. The game started on the worst possible note, as he lost the ball to Willian in the lead-up to the first Chelsea goal. Continued to struggle for the rest of the game, with Ross Barkley giving him a hard time. When is the turnaround coming?
Curtis Jones: 5/10
Liverpool’s best player in the FA Cup this season also had an off day. While Jones was not exactly wasteful with the ball at his feet, he did not do much of note when taking up advanced positions on the pitch, although he was denied by the fantastic Kepa Arrizabalaga. An opportunity missed.
Sadio Mane: 5/10
After the lull against Watford, Mane was once again off colour against Chelsea. The Senegalese speedster carried the most threat among the Liverpool players, but hardly provided any creativity. Unlucky to see his effort being parried away by Kepa. However, he did not do enough to constantly put the Chelsea defenders under pressure.
Takumi Minamino: 4/10
Making a rare appearance in the starting lineup, Minamino was anonymous for large parts of the game, struggling to produce the same impact that Roberto Firmino does week in week out. Did have some nice ideas, but his teammates did not seem to be at the same wavelength as him. The big game changing performance continues to be elusive.
Divock Origi: 5/10
Often the difference maker for Liverpool in the crucial games, Origi was well off his best against Chelsea. The Belgian did look good in the initial exchanges, leaving Cesar Azpilicueta back-pedaling. However, as the game wore on, his influence faded dramatically, as Liverpool limped to defeat.
SUBSTITUTES
Roberto Firmino: 5/10
On for the ineffective Origi, Firmino looked bright early on, but failed to make much of a difference.
James Milner: 5/10
Given the final 20 minutes or so, Milner lacked the bit needed to make an impact from midfield.
Mohamed Salah: N/A
A late introduction, Salah did little of note.
