Chelsea 2-1 Palmeiras player ratings: Havertz penalty wins CWC

Cesar Azpilicueta (Right wingback): 10/10

Azpilicueta was a Chelsea icon for his contributions to the club coming into the CWC. He is now undeniably a legend and arguably the Blues’ second best skipper in history after winning everything there is to win at the club. His passion and professionalism were evident throughout the entirety of the contest. It would’ve been poetic to see the captain find the back of the net to give his side the lead in extra time on the penalty, but he smartly handed it to Havertz after confusing the Palmeiras keeper.

The only thing that mattered was winning this piece of silverware for the Spaniard in the first place and it’s been incredible watching what it means to him. Azpilicueta is one of the three players in this game to earn a perfect rating, his on sheer principle.

N’Golo Kante (Central midfielder): 8/10

N’Golo Kante was significantly better against Palmeiras than he was in the second half versus Al Hilal. The Frenchman looked more like his old self when out of possession. However, when he got on the ball, he managed to look like the Blues’ most threatening player going forward. Kante truly got the job done at both ends of the pitch on Saturday and his rating reflects that.

Mateo Kovacic (Central midfielder): 7/10

Mateo Kovacic came off at the beginning of extra time, which allowed Thomas Tuchel to bring on Hakim Ziyech. The Moroccan needed to be introduced in order to break down the Brazilians’ low block. It was a bit harsh on the Croatian to see him taken off, but he is the only midfielder to have gone the distance in the semifinal, so he looked a bit gassed toward the end of regular time. A good—not great—day at the office for Kovacic.

Callum Hudson-Odoi (Left wingback): 6/10

Callum Hudson-Odoi starting the game at left wingback was always going to raise eyebrows. The Englishman has looked a lot better on the left in a 4-1-4-1 as of late, but his struggles in a more defensive role remain. Hudson-Odoi looked short of confidence as he wasn’t even able to take defenders on one-on-one when necessary. He failed to find his footing in the game for large parts. Nevertheless, Hudson-Odoi’s inch-perfect cross found the head of Lukaku for the opener before he was replaced in the 76.