Top of the table Chelsea welcomed bottom of the table Norwich to Stamford Bridge and went on to win by a scoreline of 7-0. It was the first time after 11 years that the Blues have scored seven goals in a single match. Mason Mount’s clean strike from outside the box helped the hosts take the lead after just nine minutes. Not long after, Chelsea went 2-0 up after Callum Hudson-Odoi finished an exquisite pass from Mateo Kovacic. A few minutes before the halftime whistle, Reece James made it 3-0 by chipping Tim Krul from close range.
The second half turned out to be even worse for the visitors as Ben Chilwell scored and a cross deflected off Max Aarons went in in quick succession before Ben Gibson was shown a second yellow for a nasty tackle on James. In the final few minutes of the game, Mount scored two more goals to complete his first hat-trick for the Blues. These goals completed an impressive performance from the young English midfielder.
Here’s how each Chelsea player fared in an easy win against Norwich:
Edouard Mendy (Goalkeeper): 7/10
Another day, another easy clean sheet for Edouard Mendy. After his bare minimum effort against Malmo, Norwich too didn’t pose much threat to the Senegalese international as the Canaries had only three shots in total out (one on target). The one thing that should be commended was Mendy’s last-ditch tackle block on Milot Rashica’s shot in the second half when Chilwell cheaply gave away the ball in a dangerous position.
Trevoh Chalobah (Right centerback): 7/10
Another start for Trevoh Chalobah in the Premier League and another clean sheet for the young defender. It was a very easy outing for Chalobah on Saturday because he was not tested much. Nevertheless, when challenged, Chalobah always came out on top. Chalobah won the most aerial duels during the match and in the second half, even made attacking runs in the opponent’s half.
Thiago Silva (Centerback): 7/10
Having played against Malmo in the Champions League group game, some might have thought that Thiago Silva would have been rested. But to be fair, both the games were as good as a rest for Silva. He didn’t have much to do again, other than passing the ball forward and keeping the game ticking.
Antonio Rudiger (Left centerback): 7/10
Letting go of Antonio Rudiger could cost Chelsea a lot as a club in the future in terms of trophies. Again, the German defender showcased his world class defensive skills and forward passing range. Throughout the game, Rudiger tried to drive forward with the ball, taking four shots on goal and creating one key pass.
Reece James (Right wingback): 8/10
James finally started a game for the first time in almost a month for Chelsea and what a game it was for him. With acres of space on the right flank, the young English fullback was a menace for the Norwich defenders. James scored a beautiful chipped goal just before the halftime whistle. Attacking wise, the wingback was very creative, completing two key passes and a few long balls.
Jorginho (Central midfielder): 7.5/10
One of the most creative players in the game on Saturday was Jorginho. The Italian midfielder assisted the first goal of the match—which was scored by Mount. Overall, the maestro had a very smooth game, just like for every other Chelsea player. Playing in a deep-lying role, Jorginho contributed to two key passes before being substituted for Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the 63′.
Mateo Kovacic (Central midfielder): 9/10
Finally. It now seems that we as Blues supporters are now seeing the true ability of Kovacic when it comes to being a creative midfield player rather than a player who just keeps the game ticking. The Croatian midfielder was the team’s engine on Saturday, as he split Norwich’s defense wide open and added two assists to his name. Playing in a more attacking role has been the best outcome for the midfielder as he created five key passes and completed a whole host of long balls against Norwich’s weak midfield.
Ben Chilwell (Left wingback): 8/10
Chilwell continues his rich vein of goalscoring form. The English fullback scored in his third consecutive Premier League game on Saturday. Attacking wise, Chilwell had a good game. He scored a goal and tried to create chances for the attackers. All in all, it was an easy outing and now maybe some rest against Southampton in the midweek Carabao Cup clash.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Central midfielder): 7.5/10
Loftus-Cheek came on as a substitute for Jorginho in the 63′. His introduction in the midfield brought some physicality, not that the Blues necessarily needed it, but it was a positive nonetheless. The England international helped Mount in scoring his hat-trick by selflessly squaring the ball to his compatriot, rather than scoring himself, toward the end of the match.
Mason Mount (Right winger): 10/10
It is not often that I give the players full marks, but Mount’s performance on Saturday deserves every bit of applause. The young English midfielder scored his first hat-trick for Chelsea against the Canaries, one he will never forget for the rest of his life. From start until the end, Mount was energetic, accurate with his passing and precise with his finishing. To add to that, he even assisted James’ goal.
Kai Havertz (Center forward): 6.5/10
Kai Havertz had the chance to assert his dominance as a striker with both Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner out, but nothing went his way. In the easiest game Chelsea has played for a while, Havertz was by far the most disappointing player on the day with almost every attacking player scoring or assisting a goal. Hopefully he does well against Southampton in the EFL Cup.
Callum Hudson-Odoi (Left winger): 8/10
Saturday was by far one of the best performances of Hudson-Odoi’s in a Chelsea shirt this season. It was the young Englishmen’s chance to impress Tuchel and it seems as if he has done so. Hudson-Odoi timed his run perfectly for the Blues’ second goal and was composed enough to slot it in on the bottom right corner. If Hudson-Odoi continues to impress the boss the same way he did on Saturday then he can nail down his name on the first team line-up.
Ross Barkley (Center forward): 6.5/10
The English midfielder came on in place of Havertz and was deployed in the role of a striker. Ross Barkley did have a few shots on goal and was successful in testing Tim Krul. The midfielder might get more minutes during the midweek cup clash against Southampton to showcase more of his abilities and to give others a much needed rest.
Hakim Ziyech (Right winger): 6.5/10
The Moroccan winger came on the 69′ to replace Hudson-Odoi. In the limited time he was on the pitch, Hakim Ziyech went in guns blazing, taking three shots on goal and creating one key pass. Ziyech still has a lot to prove and hopefully the midweek EFL Cup game can help him out.
What ratings would you give each of the players? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!