Diego Costa scored the winner as Chelsea maintained their grip of the Premier League title race with a 2-1 victory at Liverpool.

Dropped by Spain on Friday to allow him to recover from a string of nagging injuries, Costa started at Anfield and drove home his 10th league goal of the season in the 67th minute after Cesar Azpilicueta's cross was parried out.

Chelsea had to come from behind to secure a ninth victory in 11 games after German midfielder Emre Can scored for Liverpool from a deflected shot in the ninth minute.

Best of the Match

Goal of the Match: Poacher supreme Diego Costa in the right spot again as he fired Chelsea to another three points.

Man of the Match: Eden Hazard was a threat throughout and brought a number of last-ditch blocks out of the Liverpool defence.

Save of the Match: Thibaut Courtois got down well to parry a fierce attempt from Raheem Sterling.

Moment of the Match: Chelsea dodged a bullet as Gary Cahill got away with a pretty clear handball after a late Steven Gerrard shot.

Attempt of the Match: Jordan Henderson could not have met his second-half volley any sweeter only to see it clout Nemanja Matic and bounce clear of danger.

Talking point: Brendan Rodgers is clearly trying to kick-start Liverpool but his patience with Mario Balotelli’s current contribution up front must be wearing thin.

Gary Cahill equalised with a scrappy goal from a corner in the 14th.

Liverpool have now lost three successive games in all competitions and trail Chelsea by a huge 15 points.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers restored a host of the first-team players controversially rested for the midweek loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League and saw his team go ahead early on.

Can had a shot deflected over by John Terry in the first minute, but Chelsea did not heed the warning and when he took aim from similar range moments later, the ball cannoned off Cahill and into the net.

But within five minutes Chelsea were level, after a goal that required the aid of goal-line technology.

Simon Mignolet parried from Terry at a corner and although the Liverpool goalkeeper got his body fully behind Cahill's follow-up, Hawk-Eye replays showed that the Belgian had carried the ball over the line.

While Chelsea finished the first half strongly, they were indebted to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois for getting down sharply to thwart Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling either side of half-time.

Having been embroiled in a physical tussle with Martin Skrtel for much of the game, Costa provided a reminder of his predatory instincts to settle the game in the 67th minute.

After eluding Coutinho on the Chelsea left, Azpilicueta saw his cross pushed out by Mignolet, but Costa was in the right place to rattle a half-volley into the net from close range.

Liverpool had a late penalty appeal turned down when a shot from Gerrard hit Cahill on the arm.

Teams

Liverpool Mignolet, Johnson, Skrtel, Lovren, Sterling, Gerrard, Henderson, Can (Allen 70), Moreno, Coutinho (Borini 70), Balotelli (Lambert 79)
Subs Not Used Jones, Toure, Lucas, Lallana
Booked Sterling, Balotelli
Goals Can 9

Chelsea Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahilla, Terry (c), Azpilicueta, Matic, Fabregas, Ramires (Willian 54), Oscar, Hazard (Luis 90+5), Costa (Drogba 90)
Subs Not Used Cech, Zouma, Mikel, Remy
Booked Ivanovic, Matic, Oscar, Costa, Courtois
Goals Cahill 14, Costa 67

Attendance 44,698

Referee Anthony Taylor