Chelsea at Aston Villa player ratings: Tottenham to thank, not players

Cesar Azpilicueta (Right wingback): 9/10

Red card aside, Cesar Azpilicueta was one of the few players trying to win the match. He was one of Chelsea’s best attackers, and he still managed help defend. The captain did it all and deserves high marks. However, what earns him a relatively perfect score is the red card itself. To be honest, it was upsetting to see Jack Grealish get away with foul after foul with no consequence. Therefore, someone had to take matters into their own hands and give him something to remember the game by. The captain did just that. Although it was excessive, it was not unnecessary. Azpilicueta did the right thing, even at the cost of a red card.

Jorginho (Central midfielder): 3/10

The Italian midfielder started the match with an unprecedented spark. Jorginho, while defending, covered a lot of ground, made vital interceptions and was alert to his surroundings when clearing the ball. When attacking, he didn’t make the usual five-yard pass, instead picking the best pass at the moment. That lasted all of 20 minutes.

Afterward, Jorginho was caught in possession when trying to get rid of the ball; he left space open for the opposition which allowed for a couple of scary counter attacks, and he never provided any real solutions for the attackers. If that wasn’t enough, Jorginho gave away the penalty that sealed the game in Villa’s favor. It was a soft penalty, but nevertheless, it was given. Jorginho could have avoided that tackle inside his own box by simply forcing the attacker to the side. However, he went for the challenge which cost Chelsea to go further behind. Tuchel made the right decision by taking Jorginho off as he was offering no solutions in the attack and no support in the defense.

Mateo Kovacic (Central midfielder): 4/10

Mateo Kovacic was both brilliant and dreadful. Kovacic was trying to create chances by making forward passes in the final third of the pitch. Meanwhile, he was also trying to help the defense by getting out of tight situations like he usually does. Unfortunately, nothing really came to fruition. He had good moments in the match, but he should have done better. Moreover, he should have done more defensively as he did not look sharp and ready. While he is excellent at offloading the ball to the right player at the right time, Kovacic held on for a couple of seconds too long. This put the defense under pressure and forced the wingbacks to maintain a more conservative position.

Ben Chilwell (Left wingback): 9/10

Speaking of players wanting to win the match, Ben Chilwell was one of them. By far the best attacking player on the field for Chelsea. Despite the firepower at the team’s disposal, Chilwell was the most dangerous. Although he missed some chances by trying the spectacular, he still scored the goal that kept Chelsea in the fight. Furthermore, he never forgot of his defensive duties. Chilwell was always present when Aston Villa launched a counterattack. The Englishman hardly lost possession of the ball and made himself available to relieve pressure of the centerbacks and made the runs on the sideline that no other player was making.