An extremely rare goalless draw at Elland Road between Leeds United and Chelsea played out on Saturday morning. It was a game that promised goals, but delivered none. To the disappointment of most Chelsea fans, the points were shared. However, I for one was not disappointed by the result. Yes, dropping points never feels good, but the draw was a fair result. Chelsea could have—and probably should have—won the game after forcing 21-year-old Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier into making some smart saves, and even comically hitting the woodwork in the first half. However, had Edouard Mendy not made two world class saves, the Blues could have very easily been handed their first defeat under new manager Thomas Tuchel.
When this result is put into context, it is even less disappointing. Chelsea is on a 12-game unbeaten run ever since Tuchel took over, the joint longest of any manager at the start of their tenure. Additionally, Chelsea has faced Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton and Leeds in the span of just 19 days. It is remarkable that the Blues have managed to stay unbeaten during that run of fixtures, only dropping points against the Red Devils before yesterday. Such an achievement should not be overlooked by fans, especially considering our form in January.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at how each player performed on the day:
Edouard Mendy (Goalkeeper): 9/10
Edouard Mendy was Chelsea’s best performer on Saturday. I still maintain that he has been Chelsea’s most important summer signing, single-handedly improving their defensive record this season. His two outstanding saves kept the Blues in the competition and meant that he now had more clean sheets for Chelsea (19) than actual goals conceded (18). Not a bad start for the Senegalese goalkeeper.
Cesar Azpilicueta (Centreback): 7/10
Another solid display at the back from club captain, Cesar Azpilicueta. It is crazy to think that even in this congested period of fixtures he has started every Premier League game under Tuchel. At 31, his fitness and consistency is such a perfect example for the youngsters in the squad. In a high-energy game, Azpi did not look out of place at all.
Andreas Christensen (Centreback): 7.5/10
Does it matter how long Thiago Silva stays injured when Andreas Christensen is in such fine form? Another assured display from the Dane, who had the highest passing accuracy on the pitch (93 percent). His calmness on the ball was key to Chelsea playing out from the back against a high pressing Leeds team. At times when the press was too intense, he was not afraid to step out from the back, completing both of his attempted dribbles
Antonio Rudiger (Centreback): 8/10
Antonio Rudiger’s resurgence under Tuchel has been very impressive. He returned to the starting line-up after being rested against Everton and showed exactly why he is being played ahead of the monstrous French defender. He was solid throughout the game, making six clearances and three tackles and deserves massive credit for his headed clearance which prevented Leeds from getting the opening goal in the first half.
Christian Pulisic (Right wingback): 5/10
After all the speculation about his future at Chelsea, Christian Pulisic made his very first start under Tuchel. Given that he is one of only two players who Tuchel had coached prior to taking the Chelsea job (Silva being the other), that is a pretty surprising stat.
I found Chelsea’s wingback positions very interesting, with Pulisic significantly higher than Ben Chilwell, playing almost as a right winger. Clearly Tuchel wanted the American to be the more attacking of the two wingbacks. He was one of the best players in the first half where he had Leeds left back Ezgjan Alioski on strings, but failed to make any impact on the game in the second half, resulting in a 66′ substitution.
N’Golo Kante (Central midfielder): 8.5/10
Another midfield masterclass from N’Golo Kante earns him the second highest rating. Kante’s performance had everything. On the defensive side, he won a game high 14 duels, made 11 ball recoveries, three tackles and four interceptions. On the offensive end, Kante was better than most will give him credit for. With a passing accuracy of 86 percent, Kante created three chances and completed a game high five dribbles. Remember, there’s still fans out there who would leave him out of their preferred starting line-ups.
Jorginho (Central midfielder): 6/10
Jorginho was good, but not great. I was worried about him coming up against the high-energy Leeds press, but he did well to ensure that the Blues were able to play through the press for the majority of the game. However, further forward, Jorginho barely made an impact. Defensively he was easy to bypass as well, getting dribbled past more times than any other Chelsea player (four).
Ben Chilwell (Left wingback): 6
I was very surprised to see Chilwell trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons. As outlined above, Chilwell was playing much deeper than Pulisic, potentially because of the threat of Raphinha. As a left back playing in the more defensive role, Chilwell’s main task was to keep the clean sheet intact. You cannot blame Chilwell for Chelsea’s poor offensive play, even if he did miss a good chance. Defensively, Chilwell made five interceptions, four tackles and won six duels. That’s more than enough of a contribution to warrant an above average rating.
Reece James (Right wingback): 6/10
Reece James replaced Pulisic in the 68′. Despite playing just 22 minutes, James made a positive impact on the game. He completed every single pass he attempted (nine), won both his contested duels, completed the only dribble he attempted and managed to make a crucial block, as well.
Hakim Ziyech (Right winger): 5/10
Hakim Ziyech had a mixed performance. He is the kind of player who can go anonymous in games, but only needs one moment of magic to create a game winning chance. While his overall play was not great, Ziyech did create three chances, two of which could have easily turned into assists if Havertz had finished them. He showed that he is capable of changing the game with his left foot, but needs to contribute more often in other aspects of the game. Possibly even needs to build some more fitness if he is to be a regular in the team, starting every three to four days.
Kai Havertz (Striker): 7/10
Havertz was once again tasked with leading the line for Chelsea after a very impressive performance against Everton. Havertz impressed again with his link-up play, winning four duels and rarely misplacing a pass. However, if Havertz is to lead the line going forward, he is going to have to develop into a more lethal finisher. Even though all four of his shots were on target and tested Meslier, he ought to have scored one of them to give Chelsea the lead.
Mason Mount (Left winger): 7.5/10
Chelsea’s Player of the Season so far put in another consistent shift. His energy was visible right from the beginning of the game, and that energy level never dropped. He and Kante are probably the only two outfield players who could get into Marcelo Bielsa’s team, considering the manager’s demands off the ball. Mount has a great ability of finding space and time where there is none. Given how good his set piece delivery has been this season, he will be slightly disappointed that he was not able to put in better crosses to exploit Leeds’ biggest weakness this season—defending set pieces. Defensively, Mount won eight duels and three tackles, making him the Blues’ best attacker on the night.
Timo Werner (Left winger): 4/10
It is a bit harsh to rate Timo Werner’s performance, but his impact off the bench was close to non-existent. He spent 21 minutes on the pitch, but only had nine touches, completing just three of his five attempted passes, losing possession four times.
Callum Hudson-Odoi (Right winger): N/A
Callum Hudson-Odoi was likely rested before Tuesday’s clash against Atletico Madrid. While he did make a positive impact off the bench, it was not enough to earn him a rating having played just over 10 minutes.
What would you rate each of the players? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!