Tiemoue Bakayoko (Central midfielder): 3/10
I am one of the biggest believers that there is still a talented player deep down inside of Tiemoue Bakayoko. He’s struggled to get out of the gate at almost every destination he’s been to and Chelsea is no different. Bakayoko is perhaps the ultimate victim of the Blues’ ruthlessness since Roman Abramovich took over. His debut season was one to forget, but that’s not to say there wasn’t some bright moments. Everyone will remember the match against Watford because it stood out, which is incredibly unfair.
All of this being said, there is no defending the Frenchman’s performance against Tottenham. He simply had to do everything right to even be considered for one of the team’s last spots—I’m convinced he did the opposite. Bakayoko is solely responsible for letting the visitors back into the game as it was his careless giveaway that led to Spurs’ opener. Bakayoko is a very talented footballer, as he’s shown in Serie A and Ligue 1. The Premier League isn’t for him. The silver lining to this truly atrocious outing was it is almost guaranteed to be Bakayoko’s last in a Chelsea shirt. I genuinely like the lad, so I wish him the absolute best at wherever this next chapter takes him.
Christian Pulisic (Right wingback): 6.5/10
Christian Pulisic’s performance is a difficult one to assess, more so than any of the other 20 players on the pitch during Wednesday’s clash. This is large-in-part due to Tuchel’s change in the formation based on the new personnel being introduced. Chelsea went from its traditional 3-4-3 to a 4-2-3-1 of sorts with Pulisic playing a weird role on the right side of midfield. If Chalobah had not taken on an advanced role and Alonso not sat back, I don’t think anybody would’ve truly realized there was a formational shift. Nevertheless, the point here being the fact Pulisic was difficult to assess due to his odd positioning, not knowing if it was intentional or he was lost.
The American played a decent game when he got involved into the attack. There were a few sloppy moments at the other end of the pitch though. This odd performance is the perfect way to sum up Pulisic’s preseason. At the end of the day, he’s healthy and if he has his health, there is nothing to worry about in regards to his performances.