Chelsea Player Ratings vs Brentford: Mixed bag as Mendy stands out
Cesar Azpilicueta, Right wingback: 6
Azpilicueta didn’t do much before Brentford got on top of the Blues in the final 15-20 minutes of the match. He did match Brentford intensity though.
N’Golo Kante, Centermid: 7
Kante was everywhere. He occupied good spaces in attacking transitions and moved the ball well when it came to him. He also helped match Brentford’s intensity in the middle of the pitch. Kante made the right decisions in the final third too, though he only created one chance
, but then again closest person to a creator in midfield was Mateo Kovacic.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Centermid: 8.5
Loftus-Cheek was very good in retaining the ball, especially in tight spaces. He also helped in driving the ball forward, as Brentford worked hard to restrict the spaces the Blues could work with. Loftus-Cheek also played a crucial role in winning fouls in key moments to ease the pressure on the team. This is reflected in the fact that Loftus-Cheek won the most fouls of any Chelsea player on the pitch and completed the most dribbles of any player on the pitch. He also contested (19) and won (12) the most duels of any player on the pitch. Loftus-Cheek had a very good game.
Related Story. Newcastle is Chelsea's, and the world's, new boogey man. light
Mateo Kovacic, Centermid: 7
Kovacic tried to do his usual; weaving his way out of trouble and distributing superbly, much of it didn’t come off today though, especially the distribution part. Kovacic did not have an easy time in the midfield against Brentford, then again who does? Kovacic won 6 out of 9 duels and complete 3 out of 4 attempted dribbles.
Ben Chilwell, Left wingback: 8
Chilwell particularly deserves credit for trying to influence the match from both sides of the ball. He made 13 defensive actions, including 8 clearances and 4 tackles. He also attempted 9 crosses and 3 long balls, none of which came off. There was a point in the match Chelsea was on the break and Chilwell had a perfect opportunity to play in Lukaku who was running down the channel. That moment was infuriating to say the least, but overall he had a good game, topped off by scoring the winning goal. A well taken half-volley as well. He was alert to Brentford’s back post runs, which is something Chelsea has suffered from often in the past.