Liverpool avenged their FA Cup final defeat by handing Chelsea a 4-1 defeat after a series of defensive errors from the Blues.
By ESPNSTAR.com staff
Luis Suarez set up Liverpool's first goal in spectacular manner in the 19th minute, bringing the ball from the right throw-in line and nutmegging John Terry before cutting the ball into goal via Michael Essien.
Henderson then capitalised on another mistake from Terry five minutes later, latching onto Maxi Rodriguez's pass while the defender slipped, leaving Henderson to curl the ball past Ross Turnbull to double Liverpool's lead.
Agger added yet another goal in mere minutes after Andy Carroll headed back a corner kick to an unmarked Agger. The Danish defender made no mistake from the six yard box and headed it past three Blue shirts on the line and into the net.
Stewart Downing was then given a chance to rub salt into Chelsea's wounds in the first half injury time when Liverpool were given a penalty when Branislav Ivanovic elbowed Carroll in the box, but his penalty struck the upright.
Chelsea were given a briefest glimpse of hope five minutes after the second half started when Ramires bundles in Florent Malouda's freekick, but a Turnbull mistake gave Jonjo Shelvey an open goal which he made no mistake and volleyed into.
Liverpool
Jose Reina - 7.5
Reina could do little with the scrappy goal Ramires scored but pulled off an excellent safe to deny Lukaku from point blank range.
Also, he gave insight to a goalkeeper's version of a celebration after making the superb save, aiming a vicious kick that Jonny Wilkinson would have been proud of at the post. As if Liverpool haven't struck the woodwork enough already this season.
Glen Johnson - 7
Johnson was useful marauding up to assist Downing in attack and was hardly tested in the defensive aspect of the game.
Martin Skrtel - 7
Skrtel gave a performance reminiscent of a certain basketball player from the 1990s - clad in red, heavily tattooed, commanding inside the box and absolutely dominant in the air.
Jamie Carragher - 7
Carragher was strangely not made to work by the Chelsea players despite his apparent disadvantage in the speed department. The veteran was calm and composed in the box and easily saw off the Chelsea attack.
Daniel Agger - 7.5
The Dane slotted easily into the right back position and kept Malouda to a muted performance. He also managed to get his name on the scoresheet as well with a well-aimed header to beat a total of four Chelsea players guarding the goal.
Maxi Rodriguez (Off 82') - 7.5
Rodriguez intelligently exploited the space allowed by the narrow Chelsea midfield and worked passes up to his forwards all match long, providing the assist for Henderson's goal.
Jordan Henderson - 7.5
The much-maligned youngster showed what he could be capable of given the space and time while being played in the right position, grabbing a goal after cooly slotting the ball past Turnbull. He's not quite the world class act yet, but his energy and running bodes well for him in the middle of the park.
Jonjo Shelvey - 8
The 20-year-old played a deeper role for Liverpool, winning the ball in his half and launching counter attacks on several occasions. Also, he scored a gem of a goal, volleying the ball into an open net. It sounds like it's easy to do that, but it's not. Especially not in the manner that Shelvey powered it in.
Stewart Downing - 6
We're not sure whether it's luck, or if he's ordered on purpose to continue striking the frame of the goal to prove that he's really, really accurate. First, he struck the crossbar with a sweet volley from outside the box, then he hit the upright with a penalty kick despite sending Turnbull the wrong way.
Perhaps he is genuinely keen on keeping the record of being the player with the most shots without scoring in the Premier League (it's 70 and counting now).
Luis Suarez - 8.5
Suarez almost netted a hat-trick of nutmegs after he put the ball through John Terry's splayed legs twice in the opening minutes, but the Chelsea captain seemed to have picked up on the Uruguayan's little game, but that was not before Suarez opened the scoring with some nifty footwork to force Essien's own goal.
He was the chief tormentor of Chelsea's defence, twisting and turning, dropping deep, hanging off the shoulder and testing the jittery back line on as many occasions as possible.
However, it was no excuse for an absolutely cynical challenge where he tried to haul Ivanovic back by hooking his arm around the defender's neck.
Andy Carroll - 8.5
The born-and-bred Geordie continued his recent surge in form with an excellent outing, bullying Terry and Ivanovic whenever the ball came sailing through the air.
Carroll was key in pushing the play up for Liverpool, holding the ball up well and playing his team mates into space. The only thing missing was a goal to accompany the assist he provided for Agger's goal.
Substitutes
Dirk Kuyt (83') - N/A
Raheem Sterling (On 83') - N/A
Chelsea
Ross Turnbull - 4.5
It seemed like Turnbull was a victim of lacklustre defending after conceding three goals he could do little about in the first half. But then he decided to share responsibility with his mates on the hour mark, literally passing the ball for Shelvey to display his excellent tee-and-volley skills.
Paulo Ferreira - 4
It's hard to blame Ferreira for a poor performance, given that this is only his fourth appearance in the league this season. He was rusty, slow to challenge Maxi Rodriguez and looked vulnerable whenever challenging Carroll in the air.
John Terry - 3.5
The game was an absolute nightmare the Chelsea skipper, being nutmegged twice by Suarez, slipped and gave Henderson the goal, mixed up in the box to allow Agger a free header and was generally poor in challenging Carroll for the ball.
On the bright side for Chelsea, Terry seems to have taken his responsibility as Chelsea's hero very seriously as he seems hell bent on convincing his team mates he won't be missed in the Champions League final.
Branislav Ivanovic - 4.5
Ivanovic was almost as poor as Terry in the heart of defence and, perhaps in their defence, they conspired to remind the Blues how little they will be missed come May 19th.
The Serb was constantly losing out on battles, needlessly hauled Carroll down to concede the penalty and was involved in a series of niggly incidents with Suarez.
Ryan Bertrand - 6
The young defender was one of Chelsea's better players, holding his own against Downing and assisted higher up the pitch when the overlapping run was needed on the attack.
Michael Essien - 5
The normally-reliable workhorse seems to still be struggling to regain his former confidence as he looked severely out of pace in midfield and was late on his tackles on several occasions.
Oriol Romeu - 5.5
Romeu finally made his return after an extended exile from the team, but he was almost exclusively bypassed by Liverpool's lobbed passes across the midfield.
Ramires - 6.5
The Brazilian is one that Chelsea will genuinely miss in the Champions League final, with his work rate, sharp passing and the knack to turn up where the goal is. Ramires showed that he is one of Chelsea's most consistent players, scoring their only goal of the game from Malouda's freekick.
Daniel Sturridge (Off 68') - 4.5
Sturridge contributed little down the left wing to test Johnson and he offered Bertrand little help defensively down the flank as well.
Fernando Torres - 5
Isolated up front, Torres had to drop deep several times to get the ball, but the attack was simply not clicking to get the ball to the Spaniard in the box. The former Liverpool man took it upon himself to create chances, taking the ball down the right and smashing it against the crossbar in the first half, but was hardly a threat after that.
Florent Malouda - 5
Malouda constantly tried to provide some width for Chelsea but Agger got the better of him throughout the match. His only contribution was the freekick which he crossed in for Ramires to score.
Substitutes
Romelu Lukaku (On 68') - 5.5
The highly-rated youngster came on and added an element of physicality to Chelsea's attack but he couldn't make it count, having had his header from six yards out saved by Reina.
