Willian, Right wing / Attacking midfielder: 9.5
Remember what we said about Marcos Alonso and Emerson above? Take that to the power of your lucky number to understand what is going on between Willian and Christian Pulisic in the depth chart right now.
Willian showed Christian Pulisic just how much goes into the job of being a right wing / attacking midfielder under Frank Lampard at Chelsea FC. Willian not only tracks back, he actively defends. He dribbles at opponents and he holds the play up to bring his teammates in. He recovers possession and he maintains possession. Late in the game he made a brilliant looping run to take time off the clock, frustrate Southampton and let his teammates move into the best positions to help him run down the clock. Sometimes he is the forward-most player setting up an overlapping run for Cesar Azpilicueta, other times he’s in the defensive line ready to bring the ball up so Azpilicueta can start a run up the line.
Tammy Abraham has the kind of scoring streak that makes him undroppable on momentum alone. Willian has a similar streak of complete performances that put him in a similar spot. Pulisic will just have to wait and learn, emphasis on the latter.
Tammy Abraham, Striker: 8.5
Tammy Abraham’s goal harkened back to some of the goals Jamie Vardy scored late in his record-setting goal-scoring streak in 2015/16. Like Vardy, Abraham simply puts his foot to the ball in ridiculous situations and the football gods take over to see the ball over the line.
Take nothing away from Abraham: he had to work hard to even reach that ball and have the confidence and deft touch to pop it over Angus Gunn. But the end result had no business happening, and it usually doesn’t happen except for strikers who are, as a handsome French philosopher put it, “walking on water.”
Abraham can currently do no wrong, and he has the fans, his teammates, his managers and the football deities on his side.
Callum Hudson-Odoi, Left wing / Attacking midfielder: 8
The link-up between Hudson-Odoi, Abraham and Mount is the best advertisement for a youth-to-first-team pathway since Ajax in the Champions League last season. They have the rapport that takes years to build because they’ve been building it for years. Hudson-Odoi’s speed, intelligent aggression in running at his markers and his vision for passing and shooting are the perfect complements to Mount and Abraham.
He faded a bit in the second half, which is neither surprising nor concerning given his progression back to full fitness.