Chelsea: Ruben Loftus-Cheek leads player ratings vs. Bournemouth

Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Right wing: 8

Ruben Loftus-Cheek made life a lot easier for Ross Barkley and Mateo Kovacic in their battle to be the “third midfielder” in the best XI. Loftus-Cheek showed he should be replacing Willian on the wing rather than Barkley or Kovacic in the middle. This was a statement performance by Loftus-Cheek, not just of his abilities but his versatility and how he can solve one of Maurizio Sarri’s main problems.

The outside of the pitch gave Loftus-Cheek regular opportunities to show how well he can dribble out of congestion. Granted, many times he put himself in poor positions. But just as many times he escaped them and exploded into space up the touchline to put Chelsea onto the attack.

By the end of the game Loftus-Cheek had played in three positions, which was at least one too many. Sarri shuffled Loftus-Cheek each time he brought on a new forward, which took Loftus-Cheek out of his best position and out of the rhythm he established. No matter. He should be in the starting XI ahead of Willian going forward.

Olivier Giroud, Centre forward: 6.5

Giroud played a complete game for the first time in over a month and only the third time all season. He had three shots on target, but was often cut out of the play. Bournemouth were content to let Chelsea have possession above the final third, which is a less than ideal scenario for Giroud. When he had the ball he did what he needed to do and played a solid role in build-ups. But it was another game that showed how dependent Chelsea’s strikers are on the circumstances around them rather than taking a part in shaping the game themselves.

Willian, Left wing: 5.5

Willian continually found new ways to bring Chelsea’s counter-attacks and offensive build-ups to a crashing halt. It’s quite a talent of his. Whether it’s dribbling to the outside, going for a backheel, pausing to think instead of passing or dribbling, the result is always the same.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek was a dramatic contrast for the 54 minutes they were on the pitch together. Pedro was a different kind of contrast for the 36 minutes he played, showing a tenacity in tracking back that Willian simply does not have. Pedro did as much to keep Chelsea in the game as Bournemouth grew in confidence and attacked as he did to support the Blues going forward.

It’s hard to see how Maurizio Sarri will continue to justify Willian in the best XI, but he probably will.