Yes, the game we all hate but still love to play is coming out very soon. Football fans around the globe are waiting to get their hands on FIFA 22 although it will have minuscule changes from last year’s edition. However, we are not here to talk about that, we are here to talk about the abysmal rating that Chelsea players have received. Even after having a decent domestic season and a brilliant European one, its players have not been given the rating that they deserve.
FIFA 22 ratings have been revealed and Chelsea receive the short end of the stick yet again.
Chelsea was one of the best teams in Europe last season. Although they had a rocky domestic season, in the European tournament they were unmatched and went on to win their second UEFA Champions League title. Apart from these exploits, many of the Chelsea players did brilliantly in the Euros as well. Prolific figures like Jorginho, Mason Mount, and Cesar Azpilicueta, were all involved heavily in the tournament and one of them even went on to win the event. However, even after all these victories and performances, it seems like people still doubt their abilities, and this year’s FIFA ratings prove that Chelsea may very well be one of the most underrated clubs in Europe.
Many fans of the London side have already complained about the ratings online and it is fair to say that the players themselves will be disappointed as well. Although at the end of the day for some it is just a video game, for others it is more than that. People want to play with their favorite teams against their friends and having lower-rated players makes it tough for them to select their own team. Professional E-Sports players who support the Blues will also have to skip their favorite players as they are just not as highly rated as the others. This seems to be a recurring problem with FIFA, as they seem to overlook Chelsea every season. However, without further ado let’s look at the top 5 Chelsea players who deserve better ratings.
5. Mason Mount (83 overall)
The first player on this list has to be Mason Mount. Mount was undeniably one of the most important players in the Chelsea team last season. The Blue’s homegrown player went from being called Frank Lampard’s son to the best player of the club. His contributions were huge and he was the one who sent the beautiful through ball to Kai Havertz in the finals which ultimately won them the Champions League trophy.
Last year Mount was rate 82 and that was understandable given that he was not consistent, and it was his first season in the Premier League. This year, however, it was much different. Not only was he one of the most consistent performers, but he also captained the team on a couple of occasions. This just goes on to show how much he has improved in the last season. He was Chelsea’s most important man during the Lampard era, and even after Thomas Tuchel came onto the scene, Mount’s performances kept him in the team. Thus, to see him rated only 83 on this year’s edition of the video game is quite absurd. The rating would have been fine if his previous rating was lower. However, getting an upgrade of only one overall is quite frankly disrespectful.
In the same game, Phil Foden has been given a rating of 84. The player received a five overall boost, but apparently, Mount only deserved a one. Apart from that, Mount also played a huge role in England’s European matches and took the nation all the way to the finals. He was favored over Foden by Gareth Southgate, and there must have been a reason for that. Still, EA being EA has decided that he was not as good as Foden and stuck a lower rating on him. Hopefully, his special edition cards will be better than his base card.
4. Antonio Rudiger (83 overall)
Another player who was absolutely robbed of a fair rating was Antonio Rudiger. The German player was one of the players exiled by Lampard. The first half of the season was very poor for the center-back, mostly because the Chelsea legend preferred playing Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma over Rudiger. Things had gotten so bad at one point that Rudiger was considering a move away from the London side as soon as possible. The former Roma man was being scouted by Barcelona who was considering recruiting the player via a loan deal. This thankfully did not go through because, with Rudiger, we would not have won the Champions League.
Being German, when Tuchel came into the team, Rudiger was one of the players he was already familiar with. This along with the fact that Rudiger actually wanted to improve and play for the Blues, made his recovery into the team much easier. He fit into the team seamlessly and immediately showed us why he should have been playing instead of Zouma. Rudiger along with Silva made a deadly combination that could not be easily broken down by the opposition. Chelsea’s first few games under Tuchel were focused around a rock-solid defense, and Rudiger was definitely up for the task.
The 28-year-old gave some stellar performances after Tuchel took over and his performance against Manchester City in the Champions League finals remains unforgettable. Although he started the season poorly, he ended the season with a bang and has continued his form into the current season. Thus, it is ridiculous how he was only given an 83 when Ruben Diaz went up from 81 to 87 and Harry Maguire went from 82 to 84. While Diaz’s jump is understandable, Maguire did not require an upgrade, and he is surely not better than Rudiger at the moment.
3. Reece James (81 overall)
Yes, although James got quite a big upgrade from last season, it is still safe to say that he has been massively underrated by the people at EA. The 21-year-old right-back or right-wing-back is one of the best players in the Premier League at the moment and he can easily compete with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker. His performance last season was especially remarkable, and he even replaced club captain Cesar Azpilicueta in the right-back position. Although he did not start a single match in the Euros, it should not have affected his rating this much, considering he won the biggest club football tournament a few months back.
The academy boy who was put into the team two years ago by Frank Lampard has improved a lot and has become one of the best right-backs in the sport right now. James’ has a very physical nature which allows him to carry out his defensive duties with ease while also moving out of his comfort zone to play in more advanced positions. Jame’s improvement has to be noticed, and his performance against Manchester City in the finals was tremendous. He knew when to move up when to fall back, and he kept Raheem Sterling away from the action all night long.
It was a superb performance by him on the biggest night of them all. This is another quality which is great about him, unlike other players, James is very composed and mature for his age which allows him to play in the wing-back position easily. He has started the new season with a bang as well, winning the Super League, and already contributing one goal and two assists in three Premier League matches. Thus, giving him a lower rating than even Aaron Wan-Bissaka is just shameful.
2. Cesar Azpilicueta (83 overall)
The first player on this list who has actually received a downgrade after having one of the best seasons of his life is Cesar Azpilicueta. The current captain of Chelsea is well on his way to becoming a club legend after captaining a young group of players into the Champions League finals and winning the prestigious tournament as well. He is not a very outspoken person however, he has the leadership qualities like John Terry, and his versatility allows him to play in a variety of different positions. He always gives his 100 percent in all the games and to see him being given lower ratings after winning the Champions League, Super Cup, as well as taking Spain to the Semi-finals of the Euros is just disheartening.
The 32-year-old who generally plays as a right-back was shifted by Tuchel to play as center-back instead. The Spaniard was a perfect fit for a three-center-back formation, and Azipilicueta’s high work rate allowed James to push up as high as he wanted to. Azpilicueta is not a very flashy player. He does not attempt to be clever with the ball, and he either plays it out from the back or clears his line. He is also one of the best one on one defenders in the Premier League right now. His sense of discipline allows him to stay in front of the forward without committing a tackle. His performance in the Champions League finals was amazing, and he even played two 120 minute matches for Spain in the Euros. Thus, his overall rating going down is absolutely absurd. He was one of Chelsea’s best players last season and he kept a lot of clean sheets after Tuchel came into the club. To say that he is on the same level as Joe Gomez, who is also 83 rated is quite frankly insulting.
1. Edouard Mendy (83 overall)
All of the players in this list have been underrated by EA Sports a lot however, the most insulting and embarrassing rating that they have given to Chelsea this year is 83 to Edouard Mendy. The 29-year-old goalkeeper from Stade Rennes was brought in for only 22 million pounds. He was the cheapest transfer for the Blues, not including the free transfers, and he was arguably the best transfer as well. The London side was scoring goals however, their problem laid in their defense. Kepa Arrizabalaga was no longer the star he used to be and Chelsea needed a better goalkeeper. In came Mendy and kept 25 clean sheets in his first season.
He was a huge upgrade over Kepa and he was honestly one of the best keepers in the Premier League. His form in the European tournament was something else, and he only conceded 3 goals in 12 matches in the Champions League. The Senegalese keeper was undoubtedly the best shot-stopper in the Champions League and he won the UEFA Best Goalkeeper Award as well. He even kept 16 clean sheets in the league and he has been looking very good in this season as well.
His long arms, tall height, and insane reactions help him get a lot of brilliant saves, and the match against Real Madrid was one of his best, where he was able to save some stunning shots by Karim Benzema. However, even after all the trophies, victories, and stats going for him, EA decided that he was not one of the elite keepers and gave him a rating of only 83. Here are just a few goalkeepers who have a better rating than him: David de Gea 85, Marc Andre Ter Stegen 90, Hugo Lloris 87, Keylor Navas 88. This just shows that EA doesn’t think that Mendy is a top tier goalkeeper, and that is very saddenning after his amazing 2020/21 season.
Do you think Chelsea players were given fair ratings? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!