Chelsea player ratings vs. Newcastle: Blues keep the ball rolling

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NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 21: Ben Chilwell of Chelsea celebrates with Antonio Ruediger and Mateo Kovacic after their team’s first goal was scored by Federico Fernandez of Newcastle United (not pictured) through a own goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Chelsea at St. James Park on November 21, 2020 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Owen Humphreys – Pool/Getty Images) /

Chelsea survived the infamous trip to St. James’ Park, beating Newcastle 2-0. How did each individual perform in the win?

St. James’ Park is a notoriously tricky venue on Chelsea’s calendar. The home of Newcastle usually causes issues for the Blues, but rest assured, there was no stumbling this time around. A few shaky moments—sure, I’ll give you that—however, Frank Lampard’s men were commanding for the entirety of the contest.

It’s a Premier League weekend with plenty of big name bouts, so the opportunity for the Blues to move up in the table is there. The win saw Chelsea enjoy the league’s top spot until Spurs’ victory over Man City. Regardless, the importance of this weekend was to capitalize on the chance to jump on the league leaders and stay the course with others. The Blues did just that. The unbeaten run is now approaching double digits (the Spurs match counts as a loss in my eyes, let’s not cut corners for the sake of exaggeration) and the clean sheet streak has begun again. Chelsea played pretty well overall, but how did each individual score throughout the match?

Edouard Mendy (Goalkeeper): 7.5

All Edouard Mendy does is rack up clean sheets. The last match against Sheffield United showed he can concede—a shocking development in his early Chelsea career—that is now forgotten though. The Senegalese shot stopper used the match on Tyneside as a catalyst to spark another clean sheet streak. He was called into action a few times with the Magpies threatening in the final third. In the end, everything was comfortable for Mendy as only one shot managed to be on target. The importance of a calming presence between the sticks cannot be understated.

Reece James (Right back): 8

Reece James is a tank. Many use that as a metaphor, but at this point, I’m convinced he has superhuman abilities. Anybody who watched this game was lucky enough to witness James fend off two attackers at once and toy with the Magpies on multiple occasions.

It takes a lot to dethrone Cesar Azpilicueta of a starting spot in general, and James has gone above and beyond. The best right back in England, anyone? Oh yeah, I almost forgot to remind you all, he’s still 20 years young.

Kurt Zouma (Centerback): 8.5

Kurt Zouma’s always been one of the most talented centerbacks in England. His catastrophic ACL injury was a major setback in his development, but even Jose Mourinho will be quick to tell you he’s an elite centerhalf. The one thing the Frenchman needed to add to his game was consistency. It’s now safe to say he’s added that and sprinkled in some other traits—like an elite aerial presence and scoring instinct. Even without this year’s partner in crime—Thiago Silva—playing alongside him, Zouma still stole the show. The 26-year-old is looking like he’s finally settled into life at Stamford Bridge, boy are we lucky.

Antonio Rudiger (Centerback): 7

Antonio Rudiger has gone from the doghouse to being Chelsea’s No. 3 option at centerback in the matter of a few weeks. The German was the worst performer at the back today, and he played quite well. Rudiger’s seemingly loving life with Mendy in behind. His mistakes have been minimized and he’s found his precise passing touch once again. Silva will still slot in ahead of him, but it’s nice to know the Blues have a sound defender to turn to should one of the starters find themselves amongst the reserves for a short stint.

Ben Chilwell (Left back): 7.5

Ben Chilwell was a somewhat surprising inclusion in the starting XI after aggravating his back on international duty. The English fullback was fit enough to feature and thank goodness for that. The drop off between Chilwell and the other options at left back is gargantuan, so it was important to have the £50 million man back for a tough match away from home. He pressured Federico Fernandez within the opening 10 minutes of the match, forcing the Newcastle defender to knock the ball into the back of his own net. For all intents and purposes, Chilwell played a massive part in today’s victory.

Emerson (Left back): N/A

Emerson came on in the 81′ to allow Chilwell to rest for a bit. One can’t help but think if the Blues’ lead was bigger, this switch would’ve been made sooner. Emerson continued to prove what we already know: he’s got pace and a knack for defensive errors. One can’t help but feel for Emerson though; for the sake of his happiness, let’s hope he is granted a move back to Italy in January.

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