PLAYER RATINGS: Luis Diaz dazzles as Liverpool beat Chelsea in FA Cup
PLAYER RATINGS: Alisson Becker and Edouard Mendy shine in shootout as Liverpool beat Chelsea to win the FA Cup… but Mohamed Salah’s match was cut short and Romelu Lukaku offered little while Luis Diaz dazzled
- Liverpool won the FA Cup 6-5 on penalties after a goalless draw against Chelsea
- Kostas Tsimikas netted the decisive spot kick to keep the Reds’ quadruple bid on
- Cesar Azpilicueta, Sadio Mane and Mason Mount also suffered in the shootout
- Reds boss Jurgen Klopp won his first FA Cup; Chelsea lost a second straight final
- Sportsmail runs the rule over the stars after Liverpool added to their EFL Cup win
Liverpool are the 2021-22 FA Cup winners after beating Premier League rivals Chelsea on penalties in a gripping final at Wembley on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp’s Reds could still win a quadruple after Cesar Azpilicueta and Mason Mount failed to score from the spot in the penalty shootout following a goalless draw after extra time.
Kostas Tsimikas struck the decisive penalty, having seen Mendy renew Chelsea’s hopes when Sadio Mane spurned Liverpool’s first chance to win the shootout.
And Sportsmail’s SAMI MOKBEL has rated how the players performed during the nail-biting encounter.
Kostas Tsimikas is all ears as Liverpool’s fans and stars roar their approval of his crucial penalty
The decisive spot kick meant Liverpool edged past Chelsea 6-5 on penalties to win the FA Cup
CHELSEA (3-4-3)
Edouard Mendy: Produced some big saves as Liverpool threatened to steamroll Chelsea – but none bigger than his stop from Mane in the shoot-out. 8
Trevoh Chalobah: Had absolutely no answer to Luis Diaz’s threat in the first-half, but slowly gained a foothold. 6
Thiago Silva: The evergreen Brazilian breezed through this final. Been there, seen it, done it and it showed. Hardly broke a sweat. 7.5
Antonio Rudiger: His Chelsea career is drawing to a close but there was no shortage of commitment from the Real Madrid-bound defender. 7.5
Trevoh Chalobah (right) grew into the game at the end of his first full senior term with Chelsea
Reece James: Needed to offer more support to Chalobah during Liverpool’s early onslaught but eventually clocked on in a disciplined display. Booked. 6.5
Mateo Kovacic: Miracle recovery from an ankle injury to start in midfield and – barring one nearly costly error – was excellent before being substituted. 7
Jorginho: His guile and experience was key in quelling Liverpool’s early pressure. And as Chelsea settled, the Italian started to pull the strings for his team. 7.5
Marcos Alonso: An unlikely goal threat but the Spaniard missed two golden opportunities for his team before rattling the bar with a wicked free kick. 7
Christian Pulisic: Missed an excellent first-half chance and blew hot and cold at Wembley. Sporadically caused Liverpool’s defence problems. 6.5
Romelu Lukaku (centre) has had a difficult season at Chelsea and struggled to impact the game
Romelu Lukaku: In many ways a surprise selection and the Belgian didn’t really justify his manager’s faith. Provided a physical presence – but not much else. 6.5
Mason Mount: Put in the hard yards in defence and offers plenty in attack but it’ll take him the entire summer to get over that penalty miss. 6.5
Substitutes: N’Golo Kante (replaced Kovacic, 66) 7
Hakim Ziyech (replaced Lukaku, 85) 6.5
Cezar Azpilicueta (replaced Chalobah, 106); Loftus-Cheek (replaced Pulisic, 106); Barkley (replaced Loftus-Cheek 119)
Substitutes not used: Kepa, Werner, Saul, Barkley, Sarr.
Manager: Thomas Tuchel, 7
Could really not have asked much more from his team, who looked most likely to snatch it towards the end. Fine margins.
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3):
Alisson Becker: Made two excellent saves to deny Alonso and Mount before his stop from Mount in the shoot-out set-up an epic victory. 8
Trent Alexander-Arnold: Produced the pass of the match to set-up Diaz in the first half. Diligent in defence and a threat – as you’d expect – in attack. 7
Ibrahim Konate: Along with partner Van Dijk, nullified Lukaku. Stood up to the physical demands attached to playing against the Belgian. 7.5
Reds fans will be concerned after Virgil van Dijk was replaced but he returned with the trophy
Virgil van Dijk: Played with a cigar on as Liverpool dominated but had to shift through the gears as Chelsea grew into proceedings. Worryingly substituted. 7
Andrew Robertson: Liverpool will be relieved to have their full-back fit again. A trademark all-action display down Liverpool’s left hand side. 7
Naby Keita: Kept things moving in the centre of the park without really taking the game by the scruff of the neck before being hooked. 6
Jordan Henderson: Added solidity in Liverpool’s midfield – but was most vital in the closing stages as Chelsea sensed victory. 6.5
Thiago Alcantara: Poetic in possession. Sees passes so early and executes with chilling accuracy. The pick of Liverpool’s midfielders. 8
Mohamed Salah (second from right) added to Jurgen Klopp’s (second from left) injury worries
Mohamed Salah: Limped off, worryingly, in the first-half. Liverpool hope it’s nothing too sinister with Premier League and Champions League glory to go for. 5.5
Sadio Mane: A frustrating afternoon for the Senegal forward. Chelsea were petrified of him but his team-mates couldn’t really supply him with the chances. 6.5
Luis Diaz: Unplayable. Already a vital player in this Liverpool team – Chelsea struggled to cope with him. A global star in the making. 8.5
Substitutes: Diogo Jota (replaced Salah, 33) 6.5
James Milner (replaced Keita, 74) 6.5
Joel Matip (replaced Van Dijk, 91) 6.5
Roberto Firmino (replaced Diaz, 98) 6
Kostas Tsimikas (replaced Robertson, 111)
Tsimikas could not have envisaged his heroics when he joined the final nine minutes from time
Substitutes not used: Kelleher, Gomez, Jones, Origi, Matip.
Manager: Jurgen Klopp, 7.5
The German and his team keep finding a way. Two down, two more to go. History beckons for Liverpool.
Referee: Craig Pawson, 7
Attendance: 84,897
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