There was a chill in the air and fans in the stands at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night as Chelsea took on Leicester City for the second time in three days. “Revenge is a dish best served cold” is a saying most of us have grown up hearing, but the cliche showed us all why it’s stuck around this long. Thomas Tuchel’s side overcame recent struggles to dispatch the Foxes in one of the season’s most crucial matches. The Blues dominated the game from start to finish with brilliant individual performances from all over the pitch. Don’t let the 2-1 scoreline fool you, Chelsea was never going to settle for anything less than three points in the return of its supporters.
The Blues’ win saw them leap up into third place and a Liverpool loss to Burnley could secure top four before the final day of the season. Regardless of what happens in the aforementioned contest, Chelsea will take the pitch on Sunday sitting comfortably inside the top four. It controls its own destiny against Aston Villa thanks to triumph over Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes.
If you’d like to know how the Blues scored in the on-field scuffle, Twitter user @ChicagoDmitry has you covered. Otherwise, here is how each individual performed in the massive victory:
Edouard Mendy (Goalkeeper): 7.5/10
Simply put, Edouard Mendy made the saves his counterpart could not on Saturday. Mendy wasn’t called upon often, but he did manage to corral a few efforts from distance. Only an outfield error prevented the Senegalese shot-stopper from keeping another clean sheet. Impressive outing nonetheless from Chelsea’s No. 1 between the sticks.
Reece James (Right centerback): 8.5/10
Reece James is 21 and has played just two senior matches at centerback. You’d think I was lying twice in that opening sentence if you’d watched this clash with no context. The English defender was remarkable once again in his redefined role. Jamie Vardy was a complete non-factor for the second game in a row, which shows the young Englishman executed his job perfectly. James’ positional flexibility—now getting time at defensive midfielder, right wingback, centerback and right back—only solidifies his importance to the club.
Thiago Silva (Centerback): 8.5/10
Thiago Silva has been a treat this season. He’s come into a football club with which he had no prior connections and immediately fallen in love with it. The Silva’s have become Chelsea’s “first family” in recent months. The patriarch of the family continuously puts in mature, unrelenting performances on the pitch while his wife and children keep the blue flag flying high from the sideline. At this point, sign him up for a lifetime contract.
Antonio Rudiger (Left centerback): 9.5/10
Antonio Rudiger came out of the shadows upon Tuchel’s arrival and has quickly made himself irreplaceable in the back line. The black mask he sports during battle—in addition to his no nonsense approach to football—makes him the most daunting figure on the field at all times. Don’t believe me? Just ask every Leicester individual he took on in the skirmish. The German is the super hero Stamford Bridge needed all along.
Kurt Zouma (Right centerback): N/A
Kurt Zouma came on in the 88′ for Cesar Azpilicueta. He was introduced to help the Blues see out the match as he slotted into the back line and pushed James further forward. A cameo in a crucial win and a French call-up for the Euros; not a bad day for the centerback.