Liverpool 1-2 Chelsea - Costa bags vital winner

The gamble didn't pay off for Brendan Rodgers

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers rested his stars in Madrid so they were fresh for Saturday lunchtime but his gamble failed to pay off.

Diego Costa scored the winner in the second half as Chelsea beat Liverpool at Anfield to extend their unbeaten start to the season.

It was a come-from-behind victory from the Premier League leaders to compound more misery on Brendan Rodgers, whose team have now lost two league matches in succession.

The home side made a bright start to the game and Emre Can saw an early strike deflected narrowly wide, before Philippe Coutinho forced Thibaut Courtois into a diving save.

Liverpool's strong start was rewarded when Can put them ahead with only 10 minutes on the clock. The summer signing, who kept his spot in the team after impressing in the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid in midweek, brought the ball forward out of midfield and his 25-yard shot took a massive deflection off Gary Cahill to deceive Courtois and put Liverpool ahead.

However, despite the euphoria and optimism that gripped Anfield, the lead lasted only five minutes. On 14 minutes a Chelsea corner was met by a rising John Terry, who was thwarted by a fantastic stop from Simon Mignolet. The ball dropped to the feet of Cahill and Mignolet came close to denying him, with Hawk-Eye technology required to prove the keeper failed to prevent Cahill's shot from going over the line.

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Chelsea had the better of most of the first 45 minutes and put Liverpool under great pressure with wave after wave of attacks towards the end of the first half. Costa skimmed the crossbar with a deflected effort and Eden Hazard saw a low shot saved well by Mignolet after a neat Chelsea move.

Costa almost put Chelsea ahead with an acrobatic overhead kick attempt after Dejan Lovren had deflected a Hazard pass forward high into the air at the start of the second half, as both teams tried to wrestle dominance of the game.

Raheem Sterling came closer than anyone in a Liverpool shirt to re-establishing their lead when he cut inside off the left wing and tested Courtois with a low shot, then the keeper was quick to beat Mario Balotelli to the loose ball.

Chelsea got the winner on 67 minutes after some fantastic play from Cesar Azpilicueta down the left wing. He got to the by-line and his cross was only palmed out by Mignolet straight to Costa, who smashed in a clinical finish to put Chelsea ahead. It was a deserved lead for the Blues, who had dominated and looked comfortable at the back dealing with a lacklustre Liverpool attack.

For all their possession as the game went on, the hosts struggled to really create any clear-cut chances. A rare half-chance fell to Jordan Henderson in the box, but his volley was deflected wide by a defender.

Liverpool huffed and puffed but failed to really trouble the Blues at the back, although they will feel aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty late on. With only two minutes left a shot from Steven Gerrard appeared to strike the arm of Cahill, but referee Anthony Taylor failed to agree and waved away the appeals.

In injury time, second-half substitute Fabio Borini headed over the crossbar from near the penalty spot as Liverpool desperately tried to get level.

But Chelsea held on for a win to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table and ensure their unbeaten start to the season continues. On the other side of the coin, the pressure is mounting on Rodgers who has lots of questions to ponder over the international break.