Chelsea player ratings: Simply abysmal against Arsenal

Chelsea was clearly not good enough against Arsenal. How were the individuals rated after the abysmal loss to the Gunners?

Chelsea took on 15th placed Arsenal with the Blues looking to build upon their 3-0 win over West Ham last time out. However, in what was a truly embarrassing performance against a struggling Arsenal team, Chelsea would eventually succumb to a shocking 3-1 defeat to squash any talk of a title charge whilst providing Arsenal with a crucial victory that could finally kickstart their season. Here are the player ratings from Arsenal 3, Chelsea 1.

Edouard Mendy, Keeper, 6/10

Had Alexandre Lacazette scored after Mendy had passed the ball straight to him late on in the game, the Senegalese shot-stopper would have been in for a shocking rating here. Instead, the 28-year-old made an outstanding stop from Lacazette’s chip-shot before doing well to deny Rob Holding from the subsequent corner. Add to that the fantastic save made against Gabriel Martinelli earlier on in the game and Mendy actually had himself a rather decent game, helping his side keep the scoreline respectable. At a stretch, it could be suggested that Mendy could have done better for Granit Xhaka’s freekick-having got fingertips to the ball. However, there is most certainly no shame in conceding a goal of that level of quality, a fact that holds true for all three of Arsenal’s goals on the day.

Reece James, Right back, 5/10

Perhaps unlucky to come in with such a low score considering his lack of match fitness by Frank Lampard’s own admission, Reece James was nevertheless guilty of giving a penalty away in the first half with the match still sitting on a knife’s edge. That controversial moment aside, however, the Englishman did put in a much improved second-half performance. Constantly bombing forward almost as an auxiliary winger at times, James did all he could in hopes of helping his side pull a goal back or two. However, the right-back’s forays down the right did give Arsenal opportunities to exploit the space left behind when on the break and at the end of the day going three goals down 56 minutes into the game proved just too big a hole to climb out of.

Kurt Zouma, Centerback, 5/10

There were a few moments in the game when Kurt Zouma most certainly did ride his luck, most notably when he was almost caught on the turn as the last line of defense by Gabriel Martinelli. That being said, much like how it was in the case of analyzing Thiago Silva’s performance, Zouma must likewise be puzzled at how Chelsea ended up conceding thrice on the day. Yes, there were a few shaky moments but none of them ultimately led to an Arsenal goal. In fact, with Chelsea’s full-backs constantly so high up the pitch, the Frenchman, together with Silva, were many a time the only players left in charge of the defensive side of things. That the second half only yielded one additional goal for the home side is surely a credit to the defensive work-rate that both of Chelsea’s center-backs put in.

Thiago Silva, Centerback, 5/10

It must have been a really strange game for Thiago Silva who, alongside Zouma, had hardly put a foot wrong all game despite what the final scoreline might suggest. With Arsenal’s first two goals coming from a penalty and then a direct freekick and the third a fluke of its own, there really was not much the Brazilian could have done to prevent any of the goals from hitting the back of the net. Going forward, however, Silva did offer a constant aerial threat from offensive set-plays as Chelsea have done all season, coming close to scoring on multiple occasions.

Ben Chilwell, Left back, 5/10

Chilwell did not have a great day at the office. Constantly exposed due to Chelsea’s high press in the second half, the fullback was arguably at fault for being too passive in defense in the build-up to Arsenal’s third goal. Additionally, the Englishman was also guilty of putting in several poor crosses in crucial moments of the game, causing his side to lose much-needed momentum. Nonetheless, it is important to note that Chilwell was still carrying a knock from the last game against West Ham and his ability to take to the field so soon after is in equal parts a miracle as it was a gamble. There will most certainly be better days ahead for Chelsea and Ben Chilwell alike.