Liverpool 1-1

Independent:

Raheem Sterling's magical goal shares the spoils in Capital One Cup semi-final
 
Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1

Sam Wallace  


It was a goal scored in the blink of an eye: a turn, a run and a shot that told you all you needed to know about the big-match temperament of Raheem Sterling.

This Capital One Cup semi-final tie goes to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday nicely poised, and with a marginal advantage to Chelsea who play the second leg at home, but it would have been so much less promising for Brendan Rodgers’ side without a brilliant second half equaliser from Sterling. At 20 years old he has met every challenge presented so far head on and now finds himself approaching the big games when finals and trophies are at stake.

The young Englishman was the outstanding player on a night when Liverpool had to fight their way back into a match that they could quite easily have allowed to slip away after Eden Hazard’s 19th-minute penalty. There were fine performances from Jordan Henderson and Martin Skrtel, and the occasional burst from Philippe Coutinho, but it was Sterling to whom the eye was drawn to again and again.

In the land of the giants – John Terry, Gary Cahill, Nemanja Matic and Thibaut Courtois – it was the little chap in Liverpool’s No 31 shirt who made the best chances for Liverpool, who had 20 attempts on goal to Chelsea’s two. The greatest compliment you could give Sterling was that with Hazard threatening to decide the game it was the Englishman who wrenched it back for his team.

As Rodgers later said, the break in Jamaica has refreshed Sterling and Liverpool, now unbeaten in nine games go to Stamford Bridge with at least the chance of an upset. Away goals will count only after extra-time is played. Sterling will be crucial. He has run through this Chelsea defence once already and it looks like he will have to do it again for Liverpool to make the final.

Eden Hazard puts Chelsea in front from the spot Eden Hazard puts Chelsea in front from the spot  Rodgers hinted afterwards that Daniel Sturridge could also be back in a week’s time but there have been too many false dawns where his fitness is concerned for anyone to be sure. The Liverpool manager went on the front foot after the match, proclaiming his team could win at Stamford Bridge and bemoaning the decisions that went against Liverpool.

It is true that there was a case for a penalty against Diego Costa for a first half handball, and that in the 77th-minute Thibaut Courtois may well have handled outside the area. For all Liverpool’s best moments, Rodgers knows that Chelsea remain a formidable opponent capable of breaking the hearts of their opposition in an instant.

Impressive in the first half they slipped a little after the break and one wonders if Mourinho’s untouchables are starting to find the pace of the season a little unrelenting. Their outstanding player was Courtois while Cahill and Matic found their shortcomings exposed in a way that was rare at the start of the season.

A goal down at half-time Liverpool had not had a bad first half, even if there was a bit too much of what Mourinho might have called “sterile possession” and not enough of the chances that might test Courtois. Liverpool looked at their best when Sterling dragged Cahill into the wide areas or Lazar Markovic got at them down the right side.

There were glimpses from Coutinho in the early stages of the half, and more than once he had quicker feet than John Obi Mikel, the second change after Courtois from the team that beat Swansea 5-0 at the weekend. Mikel is brought in when Mourinho wants to reinforce the protection of his back four, and in this case he moved Cesc Fabregas forward to the No 10 role and dropped Oscar to the bench.

For all the fleet-footedness of Sterling, Markovic and Coutinho in the first half, not to mention 63 per cent possession, the best attempt on goal from Liverpool before the break was a sweetly struck, dipping Steven Gerrard shot that Courtois pushed one-handed over the bar.

The request from Mourinho that the Chelsea support lay off that song about the Liverpool captain was ignored – naturally - and there might even have been a brief shake of the head from the away team’s manager when it first began. Gerrard, starting out on the right came in and out the game in the first half which was as good as Mourinho could have hoped for.

On the counter-attack, Chelsea always looked extremely dangerous – especially with Liverpool’s back three square on and Fabregas looking to drop the ball over the top for Hazard to run onto. Their goal began with a darting run from Fabregas down the left to the byline that Emre Can should have stopped and, failing to do so, he chased the pass to the feet of Hazard and made the challenge that cost his side a penalty.

It only takes the slightest misjudgement when challenging Hazard to turn a routine tackle into a catastrophe. So it was with Can, who took enough of the winger’s leg to give referee Martin Atkinson an easy decision. From the penalty spot it seemed like Hazard only needed a twitch of the eyebrows for Simon Mignolet to fling himself to the wrong corner.

Emre Can (right) reacts after Chelsea score with the penalty Emre Can (right) reacts after Chelsea score with the penalty  A goal down, Liverpool kept their patience but created precious few chances up to the break. There were cheap bookings for Gerrard and Lucas Leiva and then another for Filipe Luis to even things up. The ball struck the wrist of Costa while he was grounded in his own area. A difficult decision at the best of times but Atkinson was never going to try to call it through a thicket of players that gave him no view of it whatsoever.

It changed after half-time and the confidence with which Chelsea had corralled and controlled the possession that Liverpool enjoyed seemed to slacken. Rodgers’ team started to get at them and when the equaliser arrived just before the hour it was well-deserved.

Sterling took the goal brilliantly: a ball down the middle from Henderson, a turn and acceleration from his English team-mate and a great finish. Watching again it was evident that even as the ball came to Sterling in the area, Matic was nowhere near close enough. Sterling sprang away from him in a few steps, caught Cahill flat-footed and darted left, shooting low past Courtois.

Raheem Sterling powers through the Chelsea defence Raheem Sterling powers through the Chelsea defence  Back level, Liverpool had greater confidence and Coutinho made a return to the action. It was the Brazilian who darted down the left and cut the ball back for Gerrard whose left-foot shot Courtois did not even try to save. It clipped the outside of the Chelsea post and went behind.

The Liverpool captain went off after 70 minutes, replaced by Adam Lallana and Rodgers’ team looked the stronger in the closing stages. Sterling’s knockdown for Lallana on 79 minutes gave the scope for a shot that was brilliantly saved by Courtois. It was his wrist that may have made contact with the ball outside the box but it was impossible for Atkinson to see definitively. It was Chelsea hanging on come the end.


Liverpool (3-4-3): Mignolet; Can, Skrtel, Sakho; Markovic, Lucas, Henderson, Moreno; Gerrard Sterling, Coutinho.

Subs: Lallana/Gerrard 70

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Filipe Luis; Matic, Mikel; Hazard, Fabregas, Willian; Costa.

Subs: Azpilicueta/Willian 88

Referee: M Atkinson.

Rating: 7

Man of the match: Sterling

Booked: Liverpool Gerrard, Lucas Chelsea Luis, Mikel


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Guardian:

Raheem Sterling earns Liverpool first-leg draw against Chelsea

Liverpool 1 - 1 Chelsea

Daniel Taylor at Anfield


By the end, Liverpool were left to reflect on the moment in the second half when Steven Gerrard had the chance to win the match, in front of the Kop, where a banner had been raised before kickoff proclaiming him as “The best there is, the best there was, and the best there will ever be”. Gerrard had been mercilessly taunted again by Chelsea’s supporters and he had played as if determined to turn the volume down. This was his best opportunity, 12 yards out, but his shot hit a post and the moment was gone.

There were other chances for Liverpool to win it, on a night when Chelsea were indebted to Thibaut Courtois’ goalkeeping, and the home side had enough momentum after Raheem Sterling’s equaliser to justify the view of Brendan Rodgers that they ought to be taking a first-leg lead into the return game at Stamford Bridge next week.

Gerrard was among a number of excellent performers and Chelsea had to absorb some concerted pressure before José Mourinho could reflect on a reasonably satisfying night’s work. His team will begin the second leg as marginal favourites, largely because of Eden Hazard’s 18th-minute penalty, but it might just be that Rodgers’ players reminded themselves of something with this performance.

They showed they could take on the best team in the country and cause them prolonged problems and if nothing else that is a start, bearing in mind the way the two sides have gone in different directions since the end of last season. Mourinho described it afterwards as a fair result and Rodgers smiled knowingly at that one. “It’s fair when you should lose,” he pointed out.

Liverpool were sharp in possession, passing the ball crisply and displaying little of the self-doubt that was evident here earlier in the season, when Chelsea won so convincingly the 2-1 scoreline felt like a deception. This time Chelsea moved the ball in a way that had Mourinho complaining afterwards about an unusual level of carelessness, particularly when they had the chance to break and get behind the Liverpool defence. “We missed so many passes,” he said. “Recover the ball, lose the ball; recover the ball, lose the ball.”

Rodgers was also slightly exasperated, arguing that Liverpool should have had a penalty at the end of the first half when Diego Costa handled the ball. The referee, Martin Atkinson, did not have a good vantage point and the Liverpool manager was aggrieved, too, that Courtois was not penalised after sliding out to gather the ball, at 1-1, only for his momentum to take him outside the box.

The worrying part for Liverpool is that there is a recurring theme about the way their shortcomings in defence tend to undermine the entire team. At one stage in the first half the ball was hooked clear from inside Chelsea’s penalty area and from nothing more refined than a long punt forward there were suddenly two visiting players bearing down on one defender. Rodgers’ team are still getting used to a new system of three central defenders and as long as it remains a work in progress, their opponents will always be encouraged.

The penalty was the case in point. Emre Can was caught out by Cesc Fàbregas’s run to the byline and clipped Hazard in a clumsy attempt to rectify the situation. Hazard calmly beat Simon Mignolet from the spot and, after that, Chelsea seemed content to sit on their lead when it might have worked in their favour to pose more questions of Liverpool’s defence and examine the current state of Mignolet’s goalkeeping.

Costa spent a lot of the night trying to get under the skin of anyone in a red shirt rather than managing anything more constructive. In the first half he caught Can in the face with a hand. Later there was a stand-off with Jordan Henderson, followed by the Chelsea striker apparently trying to tread on his opponent’s foot. There is always a bit of needle when these teams meet and though Costa was responsible for much of it, there was also a contemptible piece of play-acting from Lazar Markovic to make out Filipe Luís had struck him in the face.

It suited Chelsea better for the game to become fractured and niggly and early in the second half Liverpool looked as though they had lost some of their momentum. Yet it was a brilliant piece of individual play from Sterling for his goal and Rodgers talked afterwards about his player being rejuvenated after a recent break.

Sterling initially had his back to goal when he collected Henderson’s pass, 40 yards from goal, but his change of direction and burst of acceleration opened up the entire Chelsea defence. Sterling was past Nemanja Matic first then picked up speed as he went to the left of Gary Cahill and, running at full pelt, found the bottom corner with a left-foot shot to leave this semi-final delicately poised.


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Telegraph:

Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1

Raheem Sterling effort fires fightback ahead of Stamford Bridge return leg

Capital One Cup semi-final first leg – Londoners withstand second-half assaults to remain favourites to reach League Cup final

By  Henry Winter

The Kop saluted Thibaut Courtois as he ran towards them for the second half, and he returned their traditional show of respect to visiting goalkeepers with applause of his own. The Kop could have been forgiven for cursing him 45 minutes later. Courtois made a string of saves to ensure Chelsea emerged from another intense evening at Anfield as favourites to reach Wembley.

It would neither have flattered Liverpool nor been a misleading scoreline had Chelsea returned south trailing at the halfway stage of this thrilling Capital One Cup semi-final. Liverpool were so good in the second half, storming towards the Kop, their movement spiced by the running of the effervescent Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho. Courtois needed to be at his alert, athletic best.

Sterling, who looked revitalised by his break in Jamaica, did find a way past Courtois after 59 minutes but the Belgian denied Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson, Coutinho and also Sterling in the second half. He also saved from Steven Gerrard in the first. Jose Mourinho’s decision to recall Courtois, even though Petr Cech had been doing superbly, was utterly vindicated.

Courtois’s performance was key. Liverpool enjoyed 62 per cent possession, managing 20 attempts on goal to Chelsea’s two, six on target to the visitors’ one, which was Eden Hazard’s penalty after 18 minutes.

Liverpool had seven corners, seven more than Chelsea. The numbers made brutal reading for Mourinho’s side. Yet they had Courtois. They had a wall built from Belgian block.

Courtois dealt with the danger. He stood firm when Liverpool’s 3-4-3 system really did click, when Liverpool refound the sort of intensity and momentum that carried them so far last season. Courtois made the saves when Nemanja Matic and John Obi Mikel were being bypassed in midfield, when John Terry and Gary Cahill were being out outmanoeuvred at the back. He ensured his team will start as favourites next Tuesday. Of Chelsea’s 15 home games this season in all competitions, they have won 14 and drawn one (with Schalke). They will expect to be in the March 1 final.

Courtois and Sterling contributed immeasurably to another absorbing chapter of Liverpool-Chelsea tear-ups. So much recent history hangs over this fixture, a point made by many of the 44,573 crowd. Even before kick-off, Chelsea fans were singing about Gerrard’s slip last April despite Mourinho’s request for them to desist. The Kop responded by hoisting a new banner in tribute to their departing captain, proclaiming him “the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be”. As the game kicked off, the away supporters resumed celebrating Gerrard’s mistake. Mourinho shook his head.

Gerrard started on the right of Liverpool’s attacking three, working with the wing-back Lazar Markovic, and looking to release Sterling through the middle while Coutinho glided in from the left. Gerrard unleashed a magnificent dipping 30-yarder that Courtois did well to push over, denying Gerrard what would have been only his second goal in 38 games against Chelsea.

But it was Rodgers’s positioning of Emre Can as the right-sided of the three centre-backs that had caused most surprise and soon debate. After 17 minutes, Cesc Fabregas ran in from the left, scattering Liverpool defenders all over the place.

Quick to exploit the space, Hazard seized on the loose ball, the speed and angle of his movement catching out Can. He may wear No 23 but Can is no Jamie Carragher. He may have played centre-back in German age-group games but not against the quality of maestros such as Hazard. He may have made some promising runs from defence but his main priority was to deal with Hazard. Can, though, was on the wrong side of Hazard, and his inelegant attempt to retrieve the ball ended with him knocking the Belgian over.

The referee, Martin Atkinson, was perfectly placed to assess the situation, and calmly pointed to the spot. Penalties have been a talking point on Merseyside this week, especially with Belgians in blue. Demonstrating greater accuracy than Everton’s Kevin Mirallas, Hazard took the ball, placed it on the spot, stared at Simon Mignolet and then calmly sent the Liverpool keeper the wrong way.

The Gerrard sub-plot continued. Liverpool fans had a flag beseeching the team to “get Gerrard to Wembley” before he heads to LA where the thermometer was touching 25C. Back at Ice Station Anfield, Chelsea supporters greeted the sight of Jordan Henderson losing his footing with a chant of: “Are you Gerrard in disguise?” They particularly enjoyed Liverpool’s No 8, the man who twice rejected Chelsea’s advances, being booked for tripping Hazard.

Liverpool finished the half strongly, setting the scene for their second-half brio. Coutinho had a shot deflected over. Markovic raced down the right, his progress ended by Filipe Luis throwing out a hand and catching him in the neck, although the Serbian milked the contact, ensuring the Brazilian’s booking.

The half ended with Liverpool appealing loudly for a penalty. Can, whose forward ventures were promising, leapt with Diego Costa, who fell on the cold turf. As Markovic and Luis competed for the ball it rolled on to the hand of the prostrate Costa. Atkinson waved all pleas away, especially that of Markovic.

Liverpool raised their tempo after the break, arriving early for the restart, their determination clear in the way Henderson stood his ground, squaring up to Costa. They still had to survive an early scare when Fabregas’s dummy allowed Costa to race through but Mignolet came out sharply to clear.

Rodgers’s side were now attacking the Kop, as is their usual second-half desire. Sterling was building up steam, although one run ended up in a total tangle with Terry, the pair resembling Greco-Roman wrestlers.

Liverpool’s pressure told, finally opening up a defence that had not been breached for 341 minutes, dating back to Nacer Chadli’s goal for Spurs at White Hart Lane on New Year’s Day. Henderson stroked the ball through the middle, through the gap between Matic and Mikel. Sterling collected, turned quickly, accelerated away from Matic and then Cahill, who seemed almost too scared to make any challenge. Sterling’s finish was expert, placed with too much pace and accuracy for Courtois.

The attention briefly turned back to Gerrard, who controlled Coutinho’s pass and threaded a left-footed shot against a post. Gerrard sat on his haunches, and held his head in his hands. He was then withdrawn by Rodgers, receiving applause and a handshake from Mourinho.

Courtois, who was fortunate that Atkinson did not notice that he handled just outside the box, prevented further damage, showing his reflexes in keeping out a strike from Henderson and then Sterling.

Gerrard’s replacement, Adam Lallana, then tried his luck, testing Courtois, who again repelled the danger with another exceptional save.

Chelsea were being penned deep, although they did break out when Costa tried to win a penalty with a touch of simulation that fooled nobody. The final whistle was greeted with great appreciation by the Liverpool fans of their players’ contribution, but Courtois and company walked away with the air of a team convinced they would finish the job at the Bridge.


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Times:

Mourinho avoids Anfield anguish in thrilling tie of old

Oliver Kay

Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1

There were times at Anfield last night when it felt like the fans had been transported back to the days when Liverpool and Chelsea locked horns in the Champions League semi-finals on an almost annual basis. The difference was that, far from those days of cagey, chess-like affairs, this was a terrific spectacle in which Chelsea were indebted to the brilliance of Thibaut Courtois.

Rarely this season have José Mourinho’s team been pinned up against the ropes quite like they were in the closing stages last night. That they will remain favourites going into the eagerly awaited second leg of this Capital One Cup semi-final at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, is down to some typically resilient defending and an superb display from Courtois in goal.

Liverpool have rediscovered some of their swagger since the dark days of autumn, but this was a performance that called to mind the vibrant creative quality they showed last season. It deserved a better reward than a draw, but Brendan Rodgers left the ground firm in his belief that his team can cause Chelsea problems in the second leg.

As an attacking force, Liverpool were dominant, controlling possession for long periods and showing the ingenuity to stretch the Chelsea defence. They fell behind to Eden Hazard’s penalty, but responded well to claim an equaliser through Raheem Sterling’s solo goal just before the hour. After that, with John Terry and his team-mates reduced to a backs-against-the-wall exercise, it was the heroics of Courtois that helped Chelsea to retain parity, making a series of excellent saves from Philippe Coutinho, Jordan Henderson, Sterling and Adam Lallana.

The presence of Courtois in the starting line-up was a reminder of how seriously Chelsea are taking this competition. To date this season, Mourinho had used the tournament as a rare showcase for Petr Cech — hardly a weak link as deputy goalkeepers go — but his decision to recall Courtois reflected an unwillingness to leave anything to chance. Harsh as it was on Cech, Courtois was excellent.

This, remarkably, was the two clubs’ 20th meeting in a cup competition since Roman Abramovich’s arrival at Chelsea in 2003. The most memorable have come in the Champions League, even if those three semi-finals between 2005 and 2008 are recalled primarily for their nerve-shredding drama and tactical intrigue rather than pulsating excitement.

Chelsea are always braced for a battle when they go to Anfield. Against a re-energised Liverpool, with Sterling refreshed by his mid-season break, they knew what was coming. As the home team set the early tempo with crisp passing and clever movement, it must have been clear to Terry, having talked of feeling redundant in the 5-0 victory away to Swansea City three days earlier, that he and Gary Cahill would face some difficult questions.

Liverpool made all the early running, but carving out clear opportunities was easier said than done. Henderson forced his way into the penalty area from Sterling’s pass, but, with his England team-mate out wide, there was nobody there to challenge for the ball. Steven Gerrard struck a 30-yard shot that seemed to be dipping under the crossbar, but Courtois was equal to it.

The home team looked assured, but deploying Emre Can on the right-hand side of a back three looked a risk against an opponent such as Hazard. On 18 minutes, he found himself up against Cesc Fàbregas, who beat him before switching the ball to Hazard in the area. Racing back to try to rescue the situation, Can barged into Hazard, who tumbled to the floor. The Belgian calmly stroked past Simon Mignolet, the Liverpool goalkeeper, to give Chelsea the lead.

That was one of only two shots the west London club mustered all evening. The statistics showed that Liverpool had hit 20, but, for all the promptings of Gerrard, Sterling and Coutinho, and the willingness of Can and Lazar Markovic to carry the ball forward, it took a long time before they began to penetrate the Chelsea defence. Their main frustration of the first half was an unsuccessful penalty appeal, when a prone Diego Costa handled the ball away from Markovic.

Liverpool began the second half just as they had the first, pushing forward in search of a goal, but there was the odd sign that their momentum was slowing as the hour mark approached. Then, in the 59th minute, Sterling received the ball from Henderson with his back to goal, turned sharply away from Nemanja Matic, took the ball wide of Cahill and beat Courtois with a low drive into the far corner — a delightful contribution from a player who is still striving to add a killer instinct to his game.

That brought Chelsea out of their shell, but Mourinho was frustrated by their inability to exploit Hazard’s threat on the counterattack, while Costa was being eclipsed, by fair means or foul, by the uncompromising Martin Skrtel. Midway through the second half, Coutinho beat Cahill down the left-hand side and picked out Gerrard, who steadied himself but found only the outside of a post.

That was to be the captain’s final contribution. Having struggled with a hamstring problem over the past week, he made way for Lallana with 20 minutes remaining. Courtois was tested well by Coutinho, then, within a matter of seconds, by Henderson and Sterling. He had a let-off when appearing to handle the ball outside the penalty area as he dived at the feet of Sterling, but then came his best save yet, diving to his right to push Lallana’s vicious shot around his right-hand post.

The feeling persists, though, that Liverpool’s best chance to reach the final might have come and gone last night. Whenever these two clubs met in two-legged Champions League ties, the club who played away from home in the first leg emerged triumphant with home advantage in the second. Under Rodgers, Liverpool have a different, more daring approach, but they will have to be at their best if they are to buck that particular trend.


Liverpool (3-4-2-1): S Mignolet — E Can, M Skrtel, M Sakho — L Markovic, J Henderson, L Leiva, A Moreno — S Gerrard (sub: A Lallana, 70min), P Coutinho — R Sterling. Substitutes not used: D Ward, J Manquillo, J Enrique, J Rossiter, F Borini, R Lambert. Booked: Lucas, Gerrard.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): P Courtois – B Ivanovic, G Cahill, J Terry, F Luís — J O Mikel, N Matic — Willian (sub: C Azpilicueta, 88), C Fàbregas, E Hazard — D Costa. Substitutes not used: P Cech, K Zouma, Ramires, Oscar, D Drogba, L Rémy. Booked: Luís, Mikel.

Referee: M Atkinson.


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Mail:

Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea:

Raheem Sterling equalises after Eden Hazard's penalty in thrilling Capital One Cup semi-final first leg

Martin Samuel for the Daily Mail

It was what one might call a Michael Owen moment. Maybe a Jimmy Greaves moment for those whose memory extends to football's golden age. Raheem Sterling turned and ran, straight at the heart of the Chelsea defence. You know, like the great goalscorers do.

In that instant of pure athletic acceleration nobody could live with him. Not Nemanja Matic, the stand-out defensive midfield player of this season, not Gary Cahill who appeared to be plodding through quick-drying cement by comparison.

Sterling, having dropped deep to receive the pass, was reaching top gear as he arrived in the penalty area, yet he didn't look at all hurried. As Thibaut Courtois began his advance he slipped the ball smartly past him and into the far corner. It was a gem of a goal, worthy of winning any match. That it only achieved parity for Liverpool is testament to Chelsea's defensive resilience.

It was going to take something exceptional to breach that defence, and Sterling provided it.

Credit, also, to his manager Brendan Rodgers. After the Christmas and New Year fixtures he gave Sterling time off to recharge his batteries, as promised.

Sterling was pictured holidaying in Jamaica. Some mocked. Who do they think they are these softy footballers, unable to play a full season without taking off to the Caribbean? And how foolish is that mug of a manager to fall for it? Yet Sterling played as if revived.

He was a proper handful, buzzing around Chelsea's back line, desperately trying to make up for the absence of a genuine striker in Liverpool's ranks. With Daniel Sturridge still missing it speaks volumes that Rodgers prefers Sterling to either Rickie Lambert or Mario Balotelli. Certainly it is hard to imagine either of his rivals scoring a goal of that quality on current form.

Just like Sterling's trip to Jamaica, that was a bold managerial move. It would have been very easy for Mourinho to keep Petr Cech in goal for one last game - particularly as this competition is regarded as the least important of Chelsea's quartet of campaigns.

Instead, Courtois was recalled immediately, and was superb in keeping Liverpool at bay. He saved from Philippe Coutinho in the 67th minute, from Jordan Henderson after 75 minutes and from Sterling again when he tried to capitalise on the rebound a second later.

True, Courtois rode his luck when, in gathering the ball under pressure from Sterling, he began to slide out of his area and regained control only with his elbow.

It should have been a free-kick for handling, and in a dangerous area just outside the box, but referee Martin Atkinson waved it away. Moments later, the Belgian made amends with a quite magnificent stop from Sterling. Without him, this match could have got away from Chelsea.

They will most certainly have felt greatly relieved when Steven Gerrard shot against the post after 66 minutes. Coutinho set him up and the goal was open in front of The Kop.

Perhaps he tried to place it too perfectly. With the momentum of a Gerrard goal at the right end, Liverpool's head of steam may have proved unstoppable.

Gerrard was taken off soon after, no doubt with mixed emotions. He had more than played his part in Liverpool's comeback but that miss will have weighed heavily. It will be all about him again at Stamford Bridge, too, with Chelsea's travelling contingent ignoring Mourinho's plea to show respect for a great player.

The game hadn't even kicked off when the blue corner began taunting Liverpool's captain about the famous slip. The home fans immediately replied with their tribute and at one point in the first half the entire ground was singing Gerrard's name, with levels of appreciation at opposite extremes.

Gerrard has heard it all before, of course, and as expected no man did more to try to get Liverpool's noses in front. This being his last season at Anfield there is almost an entire area of The Kop reserved for Gerrard-related banners.

'The best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be,' said the largest, and most poetic - although it's a depressing thought if the best Liverpool will ever have retires without a league championship winners medal.

A more attainable ambition was contained in the message 'Get Gerrard to Wembley'. As usual, though, if you want anything done properly do it yourself, and in the first half at least the duties of propelling Liverpool forward fell to the usual suspect again.

It was Gerrard who forced the only two saves from Courtois in the first half, Gerrard who was involved in just about every Liverpool move that was memorable or incisive. A fierce shot, 35 yards out, demanded the first stop of the game, then, when Gary Cahill fouled Sterling on the left, it was Gerrard who curled a vicious free-kick in from a tight angle, bringing Courtois into action once more.

That he did this in front of Chelsea’s mocking fans made the attempt all the more ambitious. Every neutral must have secretly wished for the perfect retort. The effect of his absence next season is close to incalculable.

Chelsea, by contrast, had one first-half chance, and took it - from the penalty spot.

Cesc Fabregas played the ball inside to Eden Hazard, who was bundled over clumsily by Emre Can. Atkinson had no doubt and Hazard stepped up to capitalise on his work. Belgian against Belgian, he sent Simon Mignolet the wrong way, planting the ball low to the right.

Liverpool will claim the award was soft, but they won’t have much of a case. Can took a chance stepping into Hazard; a penalty the likely outcome. Knowing what we know of Chelsea it was always a foolhardy move. Goals like Sterling’s come rarely, Chelsea nick results like this in their sleep.


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Mirror:


Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea: Brilliant Raheem Sterling drags Reds level in first leg of League Cup semi-final

By Dave Kidd

 
The England star netted a fine solo goal to cancel out Eden Hazard's first-half penalty in an exciting game at Anfield

In the stifling humidity of the jungle at the World Cup, Raheem Sterling appeared to have ice in his veins.

And on a bone-chilling night on Merseyside, Sterling turned on the after-burners to gift Anfield a warm glow.

He is a young man for all seasons and for many different positions too – on the wing, in the hole and just now, as an increasingly impressive centre-forward.

Sterling’s brilliant equaliser ensured that Chelsea’s unlikely march on a Grand Slam of trophies was slowed down significantly in this Capital One Cup semi-final first leg.

He tortured his England team-mate Gary Cahill and inspired a vibrant Liverpool performance, which deserved to take a lead back to Stamford Bridge next Tuesday.

Instead they head to the capital on level terms, but certain that they possess a potential match-winner in Sterling.

The kid had provided a rare plus point in England’s doomed Brazilian campaign, especially when glorious in defeat against Italy in the rain-forest clearance of Manaus.

He hit the ground running this season too, then suffered a slump, before his switch to a striking role coincided with Liverpool going on this nine-match unbeaten run.

Chelsea had looked like chalking up a third win at Anfield in just nine months when they led through an early Eden Hazard penalty.

But Liverpool dominated the second half, forcing Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois into a string of saves and keeping Brendan Rodgers dreaming of a first trophy in three years at Anfield.

Liverpool, save for Simon Mignolet, were gloveless in the snow, as if a statement of intent. Mourinho showed them respect by employing John Obi Mikel as an extra holding midfielder.

Yet there was precious little respect from the travelling supporters for Steven Gerrard, predictably pilloried for the pratfall which cost his club the title last term – despite Mourinho having urged them not to.

Rodgers’ side made the slicker start, their passing crisper, their movement sharper.

On 16 minutes, Philippe Coutinho fed Gerrard for a fizzing 25-yarder, forcing Thibaut Courtois to push over the bar.

Yet almost immediately, Chelsea were in front. Cesc Fabregas scampered down the left and cut-back for Hazard, who fell after a clumsy challenge from Emre Can.

It was a bold shout from Martin Atkinson to award the spot-kick in front of The Kop, but probably correct. Hazard tucked it into the corner of the net, sending his fellow Belgian Mignolet the wrong way.

Chelsea had pinpointed Can as the weak link on the right-hand side of Liverpool’s back three and, through Hazard and Diego Costa, they victimised him mercilessly.

Gerrard and Lucas were both booked in quick succession for clattering Hazard. The little maestro is a glutton for it, apparently immune to bruising, he kept getting up and running at the Liverpool defence.

Sterling, though, was causing mischief, leaving Cahill leaden-footed more than once, before a fiery old end to the first half.

First Lazar Markovic went down as if shot in the face after a push in chest from Felipe Luis. Then Rodgers led furious protests as Costa appeared to handle while floored in his own area, Atkinson turning down the penalty shouts and leaving the field to a hostile choir.

This feeling of indignation seemed to turn the volume on The Kop up a notch after the break and Liverpool responded in kind, increasing the tempo and pressing Chelsea further up the pitch.

On 59 minutes, they were deservedly level when Jordan Henderson slid a pass forward for Sterling and the England forward pressed down on the gas pedal, swivelling past Nemanja Matic – who was never tight enough – then outpacing Cahill to drill inside the far post.

Suddenly the confidence was pulsing through the home team, through the entire stadium, and Chelsea found themselves seized by the throat and pinned against the wall.

A smart passing move ended with a Coutinho cut-back to Gerrard, whose left-foot shot shook a post.

Then Coutinho let rip and forced a decent save from Courtois, who then went unpunished for handling outside the box as he slid out to deny Sterling.

Sterling forced a double-save from Courtois, then sub Adam Lallana demanded the best of the lot with a bending shot.

By the time Gerrard was withdrawn 20 minutes from time, he’d provided another glaring piece of evidence as to the premature nature of his semi-retirement in the States.

Sterling forced a double-save from Courtois, then sub Adam Lallana demanded the best of the lot with a bending shot as Liverpool ended up deserving more.


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Express:

Liverpool 1 - Chelsea 1: Raheem Sterling races to the rescue for the Reds

THE final piece of advice Brendan Rodgers offered his Liverpool players before kick-off was to make sure they arrived in London next week with their hopes of silverware still intact. They are more than alive. They are there to be realised.

By Paul Joyce


It will require a monumental effort to leave Stamford Bridge next Tuesday with the win needed to seal a 12th appearance in the final of the League Cup, but in pegging Chelsea back here so Liverpool allowed themselves to dream.

Jose Mourinho knows his side will be favourites, but his semi-final record against familiar foes means he will take nothing for granted. Anfield was not the graveyard to Chelsea’s aspirations as it has been in the past, but neither did it bring them as much joy as they would have expected when taking an early advantage through Eden Hazard’s penalty.

It would be wrong to say the visitors let the initiative slip when the reality is that it was as much wrenched from their grasp by Liverpool’s refusal to wilt and Raheem Sterling’s ability to conjure moments of individual brilliance.

Liverpool created a pocket of space when Jordan Henderson strode through a previously congested midfield and found Sterling, but the youngster’s jet-heeled propulsion away from Nemanja Matic, who was snapping at his heels, was a sight to behold.

Sterling veered to the left of England team-mate Gary Cahill and then delivered a pinpoint left-foot shot from just inside the penalty area that beat Thibaut Courtois and nestled in the corner of the net. The goal was reminiscent in some respects of Michael Owen’s strike for England against Argentina all those years ago, though Sterling need not be weighed down by comparisons. He deals in his own heroics and his mid-winter break in Jamaica appears to have agreed with him.

Chelsea departed probably content that Liverpool’s best chance has been and gone. In 15 matches on home soil this season only Schalke have left Stamford Bridge with anything to show for their efforts and Mourinho will believe that shimmering statistic is not about to be ruined.

This was a curious display from the Premier League leaders, who rolled with the punches in the first half to land the telling blow themselves but were then careless in possession to run aground in a creative sense.

To behold Diego Costa running himself to a standstill offers an insight into why Chelsea so routinely scale the heights. Hard work is embellished by touches of class that serve to place doubt into the minds of opponents. So it was for the breakthrough.

When Cesc Fabregas wriggled beyond Emre Can to the byline before cutting a pass back to Hazard, the threat of what might unfold panicked the Liverpool player into making a clumsy challenge.

It is true Hazard did not need much contact to go sprawling, but there was enough. There were to be none of the penalty shenanigans that Goodison Park had witnessed the previous night. Hazard picked himself and proceeded to send Simon Mignolet the wrong way with ease in the 18th minute.

That it did not provide a platform for his team to go on and exert a stranglehold on the tie will irk Mourinho.

The worry for Rodgers is that his players performed with their foot to the floor and yet could not secure a lead.

Courtois saved from Philippe Coutinho and substitute Adam Lallana, who had replaced Steven Gerrard in what appeared a pre-planned change to protect the captain on his return from a hamstring injury.

Typically, it was Gerrard, playing at Anfield for the first time since announcing his decision to join MLS side LA Galaxy in the summer, who served notice he will not leave with a whimper. He had forced a save from the Chelsea goalkeeper with a rasping drive from distance in the first half and was left with his head in his hands after the break as the woodwork denied him a goal.

Soon after Sterling’s sparkling intervention, and with Liverpool in the ascendancy, Coutinho’s cut-back found Gerrard but his strike clipped the outside of the post. Still if the coming months present him with the chance to settle some scores, then Chelsea will be wary that at some point they will pay.


LIVERPOOL (3-4-2-1): Mignolet; Can, Skrtel, Sakho; Markovic, Henderson, Lucas, Moreno; Gerrard (Lallana 70), Coutinho; Sterling. Booked: Gerrard, Lucas. Goal: Sterling 59. NEXT UP: Bolton (h), Sat FAC.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Filipe Luis; Mikel, Matic; Willian (Azpilicueta 87), Fabregas, Hazard; Diego Costa. Booked: Filipe Luis, Mikel. Goal: Hazard 18pen. NEXT UP: Bradford (h), Sat FAC.

Referee: M Atkinson (West Yorkshire).


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Star:


Liverpool 1 - Chelsea 1: Sterling special sets up classic League Cup second leg

RAHEEM STERLING showed last night why a winter break might just be a good idea.

By Chris McKenna

The Liverpool forward fired in a second-half equaliser against Chelsea to leave this Capital One Cup semi-final tie finely balanced heading to Stamford Bridge next week.

Sterling returned from a brief break in Jamaica recently and on his second outing back in freezing temperatures at Anfield he cancelled out Eden Hazard’s penalty opener.

So many Premier League managers have called for time off in the winter to refresh weary legs.

It will never happen with this country’s love of festive football but Sterling certainly looked the better for his time in the sun.

The England star looked fresh on his pins as he raced through the previously solid Chelsea defence to finally break their resolve.

It also left Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho’s plan to park the bus hit the skids, although the Portuguese would probably have taken a low-scoring draw before kick-off.

The Blues were clear how they were going to set up from the off as the hosts were allowed to ping balls around.

Skipper Steven Gerrard looked particularly up for it as he harried around and showing Mourinho again why he regrets missing out on signing him back in 2005.

These are the games that Gerrard will miss most when he jets off to LA in the summer at the end of his Liverpool deal.

The big-match feel, the Anfield roar and trying to outdo the likes of Mourinho and his mind games.

The Chelsea boss asked his club’s fans not to goad Gerrard over that slip at this ground last season when he famously fell over to put the Blues on their way and ruin his side’s title hopes.

But the travelling troops were singing it loudly before kick-off and after until the Kop skipper almost shoved it back down their throat.

A rasping effort from 30 yards had Chelsea stopper Thibaut Courtois at full stretch as he pushed over with the momentum seemingly growing behind Liverpool.

But all the Reds’ work early on counted for nothing when Emre Can’s backside took Hazard out in the area.

After being beaten at the end line by Cesc Fabregas, the makeshift defender ran straight into Hazard and referee Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot.

Hazard then sent Simon Mignolet the wrong way to strike first blood in this modern-day rivalry after 18 minutes.

Kop boss Brendan Rodgers warned his side before the game that there was no need to panic if they went behind as this was a two-legged affair.

And they were not losing their composure as they continued to build before Coutinho’s shot was deflected over by John Obi Mikel.

Chelsea’s one effort in the whole of the first 45 was a signal of their intent last night and now they had the goal advantage Mourinho was not going to change it up.

That meant Liverpool were afforded plenty of possession, but had to start finding the gaps to expose before time ran out.

And it took a stunning run from Sterling to find that hole as he collected from Jordan Henderson before leaving Nemanja Matic for dead and then coasting to the side of Gary Cahill.

The England star’s left-foot strike found the bottom corner in the 59th minute to leave Rodgers pointing to the sky and his holiday reward paying off.

The equaliser sparked life into the game and Gerrard soon cracked the post as Chelsea’s defence started to creak.

But Courtois was on hand to keep it level as he saved from Henderson, Coutinho and Adam Lallana late on to leave this all square for the second leg.


LIVERPOOL (3-4-3): Mignolet; Can, Skrtel, Sakho; Henderson, Gerrard (Lallana 70), Lucas, Moreno; Markovic, Sterling, Coutinho. Subs: Ward, Enrique, Lambert, Manquillo, Borini, Rossiter.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Luis; Matic, Mikel; Willian (Azpilicueta 89), Fabregas, Hazard; Costa. Subs: Cech, Zouma, Ramires, Oscar, Drogba, Remy.

REFEREE: Martin Atkinson