Chelsea played Aston Villa in the Third Round of the Carabao Cup at Stamford Bridge and it turned out a game to watch as Chelsea won on penalties 4-3 after the game ended at 1-1 in normal time.
Timo Werner opened his account for the season by scoring a well-taken header in the 54th minute. But that lead only lasted 10 minutes as Cameron Archer crashed home a bullet header into the top left corner. The first half was very mixed when it comes to playing fluid football. Both the teams had half-decent chances to opening the scoring but could not do it.
Chelsea brought on the likes of Mason Mount and Romelu Lukaku to change the game but it couldn’t be done and the game ended 1-1 in normal time. The fans were treated to the anxiety of a penalty shootout but thanks to both the woodwork and Kepa Arrizabalaga, Chelsea prevailed and moved the club to Round 4 of the Carabao Cup.
Let’s take a look at how each player fared in the win against Aston Villa in the 3rd Round of the Carabao Cup:
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Goalkeeper): 8/10
Kepa Arrizabalaga had pretty much a flawless game today in the normal time. The Spaniard was very confident in collecting the crosses, ball distribution was on point, and made some important saves which kept the team in the game. And as we all know, when it comes to penalties Kepa Arrizabalaga is the man for that and he continues to prove it time and time again.
Reece James (Right Back): 9/10
By far the best player on the pitch today for Chelsea was Reece James. The level of maturity you can see in the gameplay of Reece James is astonishing remembering the fact that he is only 21 years old. The England international was solid at the back with three tackles and five interceptions. Adding to all of that, Reece James gave the assist for Timo Werner’s goal and scored the last penalty to win Chelsea the penalty shootout.
Trevoh Chalobah (Centerback): 7/10
Trevoh Chalobah continues his impressive form under Thomas Tuchel and continues to solidify his place for the long term in the club. The defender was solid throughout the game by winning the most aerial duels (two) and made two important interceptions throughout the normal time.
Malang Sarr (Centerback): 5.5/10
The 22-year-old defender made his Chelsea debut today and showed glimpses of his quality. But for him to have any chance of breaking into the first team, he has to improve drastically. His defensive positioning needs to improve the most as he was caught twice out of position which nearly resulted in a goal being conceded.
Ben Chilwell (Left Back): 5/10
Having finally made his first start for the club this season, Ben Chilwell can now fully focus on getting match minutes under his belt. In this game, you could see that the England international lacked match sharpness. But one thing he didn’t lack was the work rate which is a positive sign. Ben Chilwell did step up to take the fourth penalty which he missed but we wouldn’t focus on that.
N’Golo Kante (Center Midfielder): 7/10
The French midfielder playing in a new formation had a solid overall performance. But was only afforded the opening 45 minutes and then was replaced by Mason Mount, keeping in mind the trip to the Etihad Stadium this weekend in the Premier League and how important N’Golo Kante will be for that game.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Center Midfielder): 7.5/10
It was good to see Ruben Loftus-Cheek given minutes and he fully justified his selection. The English midfielder may not have any goals or assists to show for but he was a constant physical presence in the midfield which helped the game in flowing smoothly. Throughout the game, Ruben Loftus-Cheek made three key passes and five dribbles.
Saul Niguez (Center Midfielder): 6.5/10
The Spaniard certainly had a better game as compared to his debut. Saul Niguez played the majority of the game before being substituted. In the first half, the midfielder could not assert his dominance and miss-placed a few passes. But in the second half, he showed his range of passing and was majorly involved in the final third half of the pitch.
Callum Hudson-Odoi (Right Winger): 6/10
The young English attacker was proactive all game but he needs to improve his play in the final third half of the pitch. Taking on his man is one thing but being unsuccessful in it most of the time and getting dispossessed at vital situations can put any game in danger. Callum Hudson-Odoi needs to contribute more in the final third if he wants to be anywhere near the first team.
Timo Werner (Striker): 7.5/10
Tino Werner open his scoring account for the club this season by scoring a close-range header. The German international was lively throughout the game and as the service around him improved so did Timo Werner.
Hakim Ziyech (Left Winger): 7.5/10
The Moroccan international had a decent game overall but could not contribute to the goal in any way. Hakim Ziyech was very much busy in the final third half of the pitch throughout the game, making two key passes and taking four shots out of which three were on target which forced Jed Steer to make good saves.
Mason Mount (Center Midfielder): 7.5/10
Since his introduction at halftime, Mason Mount got into scoring positions regularly and could have scored for the team when it was 1-1 but missed from closed range. Seemed determined all the time and played the game very well.
Romelu Lukaku (Striker): N/A
Came on in the 75 minutes and was a constant threat to the defenders. Didn’t get much time to fully assert his dominance but did score in the penalty shootout.
Ross Barkley (Center Midfielder): N/A
Barkley came on late and didn’t really have much time to influence proceedings.
How would you rate everyone as Thomas Tuchel rotated and experimented? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!