Chelsea player ratings vs. Liverpool: A disappointing home debut

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Liverpool’s Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum (L) vies with Chelsea’s French midfielder N’Golo Kante during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in London on September 20, 2020. (Photo by MICHAEL REGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

N’Golo Kante (Central midfielder): 7

If there is one player who can be credited with keeping the scoreline at a respectable 2-0, it has to be N’Golo Kante. After such a stop-start campaign last time out, during which the Frenchman constantly struggled with a series of recurring injuries, it was comforting to see him back to his very best against Liverpool. As disappointing as this result was, Kante’s return to the side provides much needed relief and hope that things will get better in the grander scheme of things.

Jorginho (Central midfielder): 5

There has been much speculation around the future of Chelsea’s “regista” this season, following his reduced role in the team during the Premier League restart. News linking him with a move back to Italy are never too far behind the cover pages of the latest transfer gossip and based on his performance in this game, it is not too difficult to see exactly why he struggles to fit into a Lampard system.

Apart from being remarkably unremarkable when it comes to picking out accurate passes for the runs of Mason Mount or Timo Werner, Jorginho remains a constant liability at the back due to his lack of athleticism or defensive acumen. Add to that his penalty miss—which could have handed the Blues a much-needed lifeline against the visitors—and one cannot help but feel that his inclusion in the team will come to a quick conclusion once better options become available for Lampard to choose from.

Mateo Kovacic (Central midfielder): 7

Much like Kante, Mateo Kovacic’s influence on the pitch was second to none. Despite his limited output in front of goal, Kovacic’s ability to create opportunities for his teammates through his magnificent dribbling ability and his eye for a line-splitting pass is truly a joy to watch. Another one of Chelsea’s better performers on the day, Kovacic’s return from suspension added much needed fluidity into the midfield and it was a shame to see his efforts come to nothing against the defending champions.

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