Liverpool came from a goal down to draw with Chelsea in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final at Anfield this evening.

Eden Hazard opened the scoring for the visitors from the spot, but Raheem Sterling responded shortly before the hour mark with a fine solo effort.

Here, Sports Mole looks at who impressed during a thrilling cup tie.

LIVERPOOL

Goal

Simon Mignolet: Enjoyed a much quieter night than he might have been expecting. Very few crosses to deal with and only one shot on target - Chelsea's penalty - to face. (6/10)

Defence

Emre Can: Conceded the penalty and was the only real weak point in Liverpool's defensive work. Struggled to deal with Hazard and gave away the spot kick with a clumsy challenge on the Belgian. Was good in possession, though. (5/10)

Martin Skrtel: Involved in another physical battle with Costa, just like in the league meeting. This time, though, there is no doubt Skrtel came out on top. (7/10)

Mamadou Sakho: Never looks entirely comfortable in possession, but neither does he shirk a battle. Was commanding in the air and helped keep Chelsea's attackers quiet. (7/10)

Midfield

Lazar Markovic: Not one of Liverpool's better performers, but always willing to have a go at the Chelsea defence and joined in the relentless pressure in the second half. (6/10)

Lucas Leiva: Helped to keep the likes of Fabregas, Hazard and Willian quiet. Strong in the tackle and offered fine protection to his defence. (7/10)

Jordan Henderson: Looks to be getting back to the sort of form we saw from him last season. Played some lovely passes and got the assist for Sterling's goal, although that was all about the youngster. (7/10)

Steven Gerrard: Hit the post in the second half when he probably should have scored. Was heavily involved throughout, though, and linked up with the likes of Coutinho and Sterling really well. (7/10)

Philippe Coutinho: A constant threat for Liverpool, and was even more dangerous in the second half. He and Sterling combined brilliantly and created a lot of decent openings for their side. (8/10)

Alberto Moreno: Always eager to get forward from his wing-back role and had plenty of chances to do so tonight. Failed to make the most of some decent positions, though. (6/10)

Attack

Raheem Sterling: Struggled to get the better of the Chelsea defence initially but really came into his own in the second half. Began playing with the swagger that we saw last season and capped a fine performance with a stunning solo goal. (8/10)

Substitutes

Adam Lallana: Replaced Gerrard with 20 minutes remaining and stung the palms of Courtois with a fabulous effort. A little wasteful after that, however. (6/10)

CHELSEA

Goal

Thibaut Courtois: Kept his side in the match, and probably the tie, with good saves to deny Gerrard, Lallana and Coutinho. Couldn't do much about the Liverpool goal, though. (7/10)

Defence

Branislav Ivanovic: A rare off day for Ivanovic. Played his part in keeping Liverpool at bay for the best part of an hour, but was overrun at times after that and was sloppy in possession throughout. (5/10)

Gary Cahill: Was solid for much of the game but, as Sterling gained confidence, Cahill found it more and more difficult to deal with him. Got nowhere near the Liverpool man for the goal. (6/10)

John Terry: It was backs-to-the-wall stuff for Chelsea at times, and there aren't many better at rallying the troops in such circumstances than Terry. (7/10)

Filipe Luis: May not have done enough to keep his position with Azpilicueta returning. Didn't do much wrong defensively but failed to offer a lot going forward. (6/10)

Midfield

John Obi Mikel: Brought in to frustrate Liverpool and did exactly that for much of the game. However, for the final half an hour or so he struggled to stem the red tide. (6/10)

Nemanja Matic: Brilliant for the best part of an hour but, like Mikel, faded as the match wore on. Liverpool began to find space in the areas he had previously been blocking up, with the goal being a key example. (6/10)

Willian: Virtually anonymous throughout in terms of his impact on the ball. Worked very hard for the team and put in a different type of performance, but still would have wanted to offer more going forward. (5/10)

Cesc Fabregas: Majestic at the weekend but had far fewer opportunities to showcase his class tonight. Helped win the penalty with a fine run into the penalty area, but didn't contribute many more significant moments. (6/10)

Eden Hazard: Was the only Chelsea attacker that really looked like hurting Liverpool for much of the game. Gave Can a torrid time of things and won the penalty before converting it himself. (7/10)

Attack

Diego Costa: Embroiled in a running battle with Skrtel throughout, but typically didn't shy away from the challenge. Looked desperate to score the winner but never really had a chance as he came off second best to the Liverpool defence. (6/10)

Substitutes

Cesar Azpilicueta: Came on with just a minute to go as Mourinho looked to protect the draw. (6/10)