Arsenal vs Chelsea player ratings: Lukaku shines in second debut

Reece James (Right wingback): 11/10

A goal and an assist for Reece James. While that is usually enough to get a 10/10, its also worth praising the fact that James did this as a right wingback, which makes this all the more impressive. To be fair, everyone knows how much potential James has, but Sunday was the day he demonstrated it. He was excellent in defense and even better in the attack. He found the right space to run inside the box throughout the clash, which allowed him to assist Romelu Lukaku and get a goal himself. Overall, James is the future.

Jorginho (Central midfielder): 10/10

Ball retention, passing and covering space are all attributes Jorginho possesses, but he was excellent in every area in the derby. I often criticize the Italian international for often killing a play with short passes. However, he did nothing of sorts against Arsenal. In fact, Jorginho was aggressive and decisive when defending. He was precise and proactive moving forward, as well. It looks like winning three trophies has motived him to show all off all of his qualities.

Mateo Kovacic (Central midfielder): 9/10

While one is used to seeing Mateo Kovacic being more proactive, he still did an excellent job at controlling the midfield against the Gunners. The Croatian moved in between players to receive and offload the ball, allowing Chelsea to create attacking chances. Meanwhile, he still found the energy to help defend. Kovacic did nothing outstanding, he still had a great performance though.

Marcos Alonso (Left wingback): 10/10

It is clear why Marcos Alonso is so good at left wingback: the Spanish international does everything right. While there were concerns about his speed, his positional awareness and tackling made up for it versus Arsenal. He seemingly did not lose a ball, and he recovered and intercepted like it was nobody’s business. Despite not being the favorite in the position, if he keeps performing like this, he very well could be soon.

N’Golo Kante (Central midfielder): 9/10

Although N’Golo Kante was only on for less than 20 minutes, he did what he does best: everything. Kante defended and intercepted any balls that came his way. He pressured the opposition and regained possession in the middle of the field almost every sequence of play. His presence is a reminder of why he is the best in the world, and why Chelsea needs him this season.