Chelsea: Player ratings at Aston Villa; Mount, Azpilicueta shine

N’Golo Kante (Midfielder): 7

It was great to see N’Golo Kante back on the pitch for the first time in what seems like forever. When the return of the Premier League was announced, it was likely Kante would not play the remainder of the season due to precautions surrounding COVID-19. His return from injury was a good one as he was everywhere on the pitch, back to his normal self. Lampard had him play as a deep-lying defensive midfielder to cover the centerbacks, a position he has thrived at in previous seasons. Overall, a solid return from Kante, who contended for Man of the Match.

Mateo Kovacic (Midfielder): 5.5

Mateo Kovacic tried his best to make an impact on this match. Based on his early match performance, it seems as if he was not a good fit to start given the way Aston Villa lined up. He tried to be a bit creative, but Villa repeatedly stopped him due to its compact defensive formation. Kovacic’s frustration was building throughout the match, which ultimately led to his substitution.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Midfielder): 5.5

Ruben Loftus-Cheek looked rusty after making his first appearance for Chelsea in over a year. He seemed a bit slow and failed to make an impact. The English midfielder had a couple of good chances to score, but he could not convert. People had some high expectations for him after he scored against QPR in a closed-door friendly recently, but he will need some time to adjust after 13 months away from competitive football. He will likely be on the bench against Manchester City, but there’s likely no way he starts.

Mason Mount (Midfielder): 8

Mason Mount had a great match. His performance was one of his best this season, which is saying something given he’s been one of the Blues’ top performers. Mount was consistently setting up goalscoring opportunities and played a great 90 minutes of football. A lot of the attack was run through him out on the wing and he played a few good balls in. Quite unlucky how Mount did not get an assist, but he’s delighted to get the win regardless. He will be looking to have another good performance against Manchester City mid-week.

Ross Barkley (Midfielder): 6.5

Ross Barkley did well once he came on for Kovacic. He was not necessarily involved in any scoring plays, but played firm in the midfield. Barkley coming on for Kovacic was a smart substitution as Barkley was in blazing form before the halt. Hopefully he can continue to produce solid performances and come into his own under Lampard.

Reece James (Midfielder): N/A

Reece James did not play particularly well in the five or so minutes he was on. He lost the ball at least three times and seemed a bit confused. However, this could’ve been due to him playing a rather undefined role in midfield for the short period he played.