How we rated the Reds as they scraped past Wimbledon at Kingsmeadow.
SEE MORE:
Gerrard free kick goal video
Akinfenwa goal video
Liverpool are through to the fourth round of the FA Cup after a 2-1 victory over League Two side AFC Wimbledon at Kingsmeadow – but only after a huge scare against the West London side, who were unfortunate not to gain at least a replay. This is how we rated Brendan Rodgers’ side:
GK) Simon Mignolet 4 – Back in the team and back in the action in a negative sense – looked nervous from crosses all night and was culpable for the Akinfenwa goal.
CB) Emre Can 6 – Can was relatively comfortable on the ball, which is why he is in this role, but Wimbledon looked to target his lack of aerial prowess.
CB) Martin Skrtel 6 – Stood up more to the aerial bombardment, although even he was troubled by the awkward Akinfenwa’s sheer bulk.
CB) Mamadou Sakho 5 – Sakho was clumsy on the ball and not particularly commanding of it – has been much better than this in recent weeks.
RWB) Javier Manquillo 7 – The young Spaniard was perfectly solid and one of his side’s better performers on the night, doing well defensively and providing a fine assist for the opening goal.
LWB) Lazar Markovic 6 – The Serbian showed some neat touches, but the physicality of the League Two side showed that he may have to bulk up a little bit.
CM) Jordan Henderson 6 – Henderson was tidy enough in central midfield, but perhaps showed less drive than is usually expected of him.
CM) Steven Gerrard 9 – Was his side’s inspiration on the evening, scoring two delightful goals and at the heart of everything good that his team came up with.
CM) Lucas Leiva 5 – Very quiet in midfield, didn’t do much to help his side retain possession and allowed Wimbledon players to run off him very easily.
ACM) Philippe Coutinho 7 – A mixed bag from Coutinho, who was utterly anonymous during the first half but arguably the best player on the pitch after the break.
SC) Rickie Lambert 4 – Liverpool didn’t play to his strengths at all, but Lambert was still slow, cumbersome and needed to show more.
SUB) Jose Enrique 6 – Competent if not at all spectacular after coming off the bench for Manquillo in the second half.
SUB) Mario Balotelli 6 – Didn’t really get near the ball after coming on as a late substitute for Lambert.
SUB) Kolo Toure 6 – His arrival was an exercise in time wasting and solidity as much as anything else.
MAN) Brendan Rodgers 6 – Will be happy to have seen his side make it through to the fourth round, but his formation didn’t entirely work and the Reds were caused plenty of problems.
