Chelsea welcomed Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg at Stamford Bridge earlier tonight to kick off their title defense in the UEFA Champions League.
All of the fans were in hopes of an easy game for the Blues but it turned out to be completely different. Both sides fought tooth and nail in the first half but could not create any clear-cut chances and the first half ended at nil-nil.
The same could be said for the early parts of the second half too with any of the teams reluctant to concede first. However, Romelu Lukaku finally managed to break the deadlock in the 69th minute when he scored a good header from Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross. After that, the game was more open with Zenit St. Petersburg committing players forward in the search for an equalizer.
They did come close in the dying minutes of normal time but the game management from the Blues helped them in securing a narrow 1-0 win.
Let’s take a look at how each Chelsea player fared during the game against Zenit St. Petersburg:
Edouard Mendy (Goalkeeper): 8/10
Edouard Mendy was the spectator for the majority of the game. With only two shots on target from the Russian side which were straight to Edouard Mendy’s hands, did not give much for him to do until the dying minutes of the game when Artem Dzyuba came within inches of scoring an equalizer. Apart from that, another day another clean sheet for the Senegalese international.
Cesar Azpilicueta (Centerback): 6/10
The Spanish defender by far did not have an amazing game to be totally honest but his pinpoint assist for Romelu Lukaku’s goal has somewhat improved the final rating. Cesar Azpilicueta was caught lacking sometimes and the lack of pace in his armory did almost send the opposition through. Definitely could have had a better game.
Andreas Christensen (Centerback): 8/10
Andreas Christensen continues his impressive form under Thomas Tuchel, playing in the middle of the defense and being solid as always. The Danish international completed the game with 92.4% pass accuracy and won the second most amount of aerial duels (two) after Antonio Rudiger. A new contract is fully deserved to Andreas Christensen and now it seems that we have found the perfect replacement for Thiago Silva.
Antonio Rudiger (Centerback): 8.5/10
By far one of the best players in the Chelsea team against Zenit St. Petersburg was Antonio Rudiger. The Germany international was very solid at the back and came in clutch with a last- ditch interception which prevented the Russian side from equalizing. The left-sided center back was dominant in the air too winning the most aerial duels in the game (three). If Antonio Rudiger could have finished his amazing run from defense to the opponent’s box, he would have definitely made Kurt Zouma proud.
Reece James (Right Wingback): 8/10
Another player that continues to develop the game after game is Reece James. The England international seemed a bit careless in the start but definitely secured the defense from the right-hand side as the game progressed. With the passing accuracy of 90%, Reece James made the joint-most key passes (three) and intercepted the opponent players twice. Reece James was one of the main providers to Romelu Lukaku too with four crosses in the box.
Jorginho (Central Midfielder): 8/10
Jorginho was presented with the UEFA Player of the Year trophy before the game in front of a packed Stamford Bridge stadium and he showed why he deserved that award. You would barely see the Italian midfielder very high in the opponent’s half but the way he controlled the tempo of the game and spread the ball from one side to the other was impressive. All of this can be seen by the fact that Jorginho was the player who played the most passes (123).
Mateo Kovacic (Central Midfielder): 8.5/10
By far the best midfielder in this game was Chelsea’s, Mateo Kovacic. The Croatian international was everywhere on the pitch and was the main man in the midfield which troubled the opponent. Mateo Kovacic completed the most dribbles in the game (four), played the most accurate long balls (seven), and completed the game with 97% pass accuracy. Another impressive night from Mateo Kovacic.
Marcus Alonso (Left Wingback): 8/10
Marcus Alonso continued his top form against Zenit St. Petersburg by being a continuous menace down the left-hand side. The Spanish defender was very precise with his passing, with 93% pass accuracy. Marcus Alonso was always very aware of his surrounding players, did not concede unnecessary fouls, and came very close to scoring towards the end of the match.
Hakim Ziyech (Right Winger): 6/10
Seeing the well-drilled defense of Zenit Saint Petersburg, the Moroccan international was not effective much. Hakim Ziyech although did have three shots just from outside the box in the 63rd minute that he played which were all blocked. All in all, the play in the final third from Hakim Ziyech lacked but by all, no one can blame him seeing how well the Russian side played.
Mason Mount (Left Winger): 6.5/10
Mason Mount seemed a bit out of place in the game against Zenit St. Petersburg. The England international was as always willing to run with the ball and tried to create a few chances for other players around him but nothing came off. Mason Mount did end up with the most key passes played (three) and the second most dribbles created (three). Not the best game by the standards of Mason Mount for sure.
Romelu Lukaku (Striker): 9/10
Since the first minute of the game, Romelu Lukaku was a constant threat to the opponent defenders. His pace and power for Zenit St. Petersburg defenders and finally Romelu Lukaku managed to score the only goal of the game in the 69th minute with a decent header. This only further proves why Chelsea was right in signing a clinical striker like Romelu Lukaku for such a big fee.
Kai Havertz (Substitute Right Winger): 6/10
The German international came on for Hakim Ziyech n the 63rd minute but did not contribute much in the Zenit half. The youngster’s introduction was more or less done to help the team in the counter-attack situations but nothing came to fruition.
Ben Chilwell (Substitute Left Wingback): N/A
Ben Chilwell finally played his first minutes of the new season when he was brought on in place of Marcus Alonso. He did not get enough minutes to fully judge him but hopefully, he plays more in the coming games.
Thiago Silva (Substitute Centerback): N/A
Thiago Silva came off the bench to replace Cesar Azpilicueta in the dying minutes of the game just to see out the victory for the Blues. And that is what the veteran did.
Ruben Loftus Cheek (Substitute Left Winger): N/A
Another player who played his first minutes of the season for Chelsea was Ruben Loftus Cheek. He was brought on to play the final few minutes only of the game.
How would you rate the players in this one? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!