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

Christian Pulisic (Right winger): 6/10

The American got an assist, but that is all he did right. Usually he is more direct and impactful. However, against Aston Villa, he was timid and underwhelming. Pulisic hardly took players on, almost never looked toward the goal, nor did he make runs in behind defenders. However, he was still an important part of Chelsea’s game and managed to get an assist. Pulisic has hinted at frustration of being benched so often this season, but he must do better in the bigger games. This stems from the fact that he is better than this. When on form, and when he wants, Pulisic can break down any defense, but Sunday was not the day where he made the difference.

Timo Werner (Center forward): 2/10

I am starting to re-read my own articles to make sure I don’t have a bias against Timo Werner. I don’t, but the truth is, he did nothing worth for the team on Sunday. Werner’s contribution was so insignificant that I never expected him to score, or even get close. When he did, it was disallowed—although this time, it was not his fault. That aside, Werner needs to do better.

Mason Mount (Left winger): 3/10

Someone needs to ask Mason Mount what happened today because I don’t have the answer. He has been Chelsea’s best player all season long. Game after game he has put in world class performances, but in the final match, he disappeared. Nothing was right with his game against Aston Villa. His decision making was awful, he never had any impact—aside from six shots that went nowhere—he was extremely conservative rather than creative. When he did try to be imaginative, it was the wrong move at the wrong time. Mount is definitely better than this, and everyone is expecting him to make a comeback next week. For most of the game, he was a body in the opposition’s box who hardly touched the ball. His best moments came when he dropped to midfield to try and create a play, but even then, nothing came out of his efforts. Saturday is Chelsea’s single biggest game in a long time and the team needs more from him.

Hakim Ziyech (Right winger): 7/10

While I was skeptical when he came on for Jorginho, Hakim Ziyech changed the game. Ziyech was creative and mobile from the moment he came on. He didn’t offer support defending, but Chelsea could only think about attacking. In this sense, the winger provided the right dose of it. His passing and movement made all the difference, and he can be credited for starting the move that created the goal for the Blues.

Kai Havertz (Striker): 5/10

An average performance by the German. It can be argued that he should have been on the field 10 minutes sooner. Maybe then his contribution would have been more impactful. Kai Havertz didn’t do much wrong, but he also didn’t do much right. This is understandable as there was not much to do. Aston Villa was very compact, and Chelsea’s attackers were missing in action. However, his substitution was the correct one as the Blues needed a direct approach towards goal, rather than playing through the wide areas.

What rating would you give each player? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!