Chelsea player ratings vs. Liverpool: A disappointing home debut

Chelsea dropped its 2020/21 home opener against Liverpool. The overall display was poor, but how did each individual rank?

Chelsea took on defending champions Liverpool in the Blues’ first league game at home. Overall, it was a fascinating tactical tussle until Andreas Christensen’s sending off in the final minute of the first half. From there on out, Liverpool’s man advantage took any form of competitiveness out of the match as the Reds dominated proceedings, smashing in two second half goals to bring home all three points from SW6. Here is how the Chelsea team played:

Kepa Arrizabalaga (Goalkeeper): 1

As unlikely as it may seem, this is not the first time Kepa Arrizabalaga has been awarded a rating which corresponds directly with the number on the back of his kit.

Following what was a decent half of football which gave fans a glimpse of the level of ball distribution last seen during Maurizio Sarri’s only season at the club, things quickly unraveled for the Spaniard. With Chelsea already one goal down early on in the second half, a lapse in concentration from the 25-year-old saw him present the ball straight to Sadio Mane in the box, a chance which the Senegalese made no mistake from to put Liverpool 2-0 up. If the Blues had any thoughts of still getting something from the game at that stage, they have their own keeper to thank for fully extinguishing any last hopes of salvation.

Reece James (Right back): 6

Reece James was once again solid at right back, despite having to constantly come up against the Liverpool duo of Sadio Mane and Andy Robertson. Considering just how dominant Liverpool was in the second half with its man advantage, James’ performance was certainly not one to scoff at. With all the attention on the young fullback usually focused on his attacking contributions to the team, his ability to hold his own—even when on the back foot—highlights just how underrated he is defensively and how complete he is as a modern fullback.

Andreas Christensen (Centerback): 3

Christensen had himself a fantastic half of football right up till that moment of desperation which saw him bring down Mane, who was running through on goal. In what turned out to be the game changing moment of the match, Christensen’s red card firmly tilted the delicate balance of the game in favour of the visitors. As impressive as he was in the 40-odd minutes he was allowed on the pitch, Christensen’s loss of composure ultimately proved one mistake too costly for the Blues to overcome.

Kurt Zouma (Centerback): 6

There was a point in time last season and even at the start of this that Zouma was touted for a permanent move away from Chelsea. However, if this match is anything to go by, the Frenchman will be going nowhere as the club’s most in-form defender at the moment. It is not easy to stand out defensively in a game where the team conceded two rather sloppy goals, but Zouma did not put a foot wrong for the entirety of the match. Perhaps the introduction of Thiago Silva into the back line will finally see his strong defensive efforts turn into tangible clean sheets in the not-so-distant future.

Marcos Alonso (Left back): 6

The inclusion in the starting XI which caused the biggest uproar amongst Chelsea fans pre-game, Alonso once again highlighted that defending is not all about being the fastest player on the pitch. Coming up against an in-form Mohamed Salah, who had just racked up a hat-trick less than a week ago, Alonso was able to—for large parts of the game—keep the pacy Egyptian at bay. At 29, Alonso has enough defensive nuance and positional awareness as a left back to continue keeping the manager’s faith in him and it is about time the fans showed some belief in him too.

Fikayo Tomori (Centerback): 6

Left out in the cold for upwards of four months, Fikayo Tomori’s return to action nonetheless made it seem as though he never left. Strong in the air against a barrage of crosses into the area, Tomori’s sudden halftime introduction did not seem to even faze him one bit. When in possession, the 22-year-old was also solid on the ball, displaying the kind of maturity which had gotten his manager and fans alike so excited about his long term future at the club just last August.

With Thiago Silva still not match fit and Christensen out due to suspension, the Englishman’s promising runout here could be the moment which sees him reinstated into the starting XI. Tomori’s qualities as a top class centrehalf have never been in doubt. Now, all that’s left is for him to prove that he is able to sustain his top form for an extended run of games.