Chelsea moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table courtesy of a 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield this afternoon.

Goals from Gary Cahill and Diego Costa cancelled out Emre Can's early opener as Liverpool slipped to a third consecutive defeat in all competitions.

Here, Sports Mole looks at who stood out during an intriguing match on Merseyside.

© Getty Images

LIVERPOOL

Goal

Simon Mignolet: Made a brilliant stop to deny John Terry and was unfortunate to carry Cahill's rebound over the line for the equaliser. Perhaps could have done better with the winner, while his distribution was also poor. (6/10)

Defence

Glen Johnson: Made a couple of important blocks in the first half and did a good job of keeping tabs on Hazard when required. A solid performance from the right-back. (6/10)

Martin Skrtel: Was involved in a fascinating individual battle with Costa all game and relished the physical tussle. Couldn't prevent the striker from scoring the winner, though. (6/10)

Dejan Lovren: Preferred to Toure in the side despite the latter's good performance in midweek, and didn't really justify his selection. Was beaten far too easily on a couple of occasions and looked shaky in possession. (5/10)

Alberto Moreno: Was not given many opportunities to get forward as he likes to, but did his defensive duties well considering he was charged with marking a number of different players over the course of the game. (6/10)

Midfield

Steven Gerrard: Was beaten too easily on a couple of occasions and didn't have the legs to recover, but when on the ball was fairly solid. Could not find the killer pass from his quarterback role, though. (6/10)

Emre Can: Started the game very brightly and picked up a goal for his efforts, albeit a lucky one due to Cahill's deflection. Tired as the match wore on, though, and was eventually replaced by Allen. (7/10)

Jordan Henderson: Was sloppy in possession at times and struggled to influence the game at all. Got no joy against Matic in the middle of the park. (5/10)

Philippe Coutinho: Was impressive on the ball at times, making clever passes or running at the defence. However, his defensive side let him down when Azpilicueta beat him far too easily in the build-up to the winning goal. (6/10)

Raheem Sterling: Tested Courtois with a good low effort towards the start of the second half and was a bright spark for Liverpool. Carried out his defensive duties well too. (7/10)

Attack

Mario Balotelli: Not his worst performance in a Liverpool shirt, but simply does not do enough when up front on his own. Made a few decent runs behind the defence and worked hard for the team, but needs to do that more often. (5/10)

Substitutes

Joe Allen: Replaced the tiring Can and added his own spark into attack, setting up shooting opportunities for both Henderson and Gerrard. Could not do much else, however, as the Chelsea defence held firm. (6/10)

Fabio Borini: Had one half chance with a header, but otherwise could not make an impact during his 20-minute cameo. (6/10)

Rickie Lambert: Came on for Balotelli for the final 10 minutes but barely had a kick. (6/10)

© Getty Images

CHELSEA

Goal

Thibaut Courtois: Unflappable under the high ball and not a bad shot-stopper either. Was left helpless for the goal, but otherwise had a successful afternoon. (7/10)

Defence

Branislav Ivanovic: Struggled to deal with Sterling's pace at times, but put in a typically solid performance both defensively and going forward. (7/10)

John Terry: Commanding as ever at the back, leading Chelsea's organised back line to a very good performance. Threw himself in the way of everything and comfortably dealt with Balotelli. (8/10)

Gary Cahill: An eventful game for the centre-back, who was unfortunate to deflect Can's strike past his keeper before equalising five minutes later. Was superb at the back most of the game, but was very lucky to get away with a handball inside the box late on. (7/10)

Cesar Azpilicueta: Brilliant play to set up the winning goal, and overall a successful return to the first team following his recent suspension. (8/10)

Midfield

Nemanja Matic: Imperious display in the middle of the park, dominating that area of the field for long periods of the match. Was as good as anyone on the day. (8/10)

Cesc Fabregas: Struggled defensively on a couple of occasions and could not have his usual impact in the opposition half either. A quiet game for the Spaniard. (6/10)

Ramires: Did his job in a wider role effectively, offering protection for Ivanovic as well as causing Moreno problems going forward. (6/10)

Oscar: Grew into the match following a slow start. Linked up with Hazard very well as Chelsea began to move the ball about freely. (7/10)

Eden Hazard: Never stopped moving, which made it hard for Liverpool to keep tabs on him. Was tricky when on the ball as usual, but Liverpool generally dealt with him quite well. (7/10)

Attack

Diego Costa: The match winner with a poacher's finish from inside the box, putting him into double figures for the season. Battled with Skrtel all game and seems to love the physicality of the Premier League. (7/10)

Substitutes

Willian: Came on for Ramires 10 minutes into the second half but didn't really have an impact on proceedings. (6/10)

Didier Drogba: Came on in the 90th minute and held on to the ball well as Chelsea wound the clock down. (6/10)

Filipe Luis: Had a matter of seconds on the field having come on in the fifth and final minute of stoppage time. (6/10)