Sunday’s Carabao Cup final was an incredible game of football where everything that could have happened, did. In all honesty, more than one visit to a cardiologist may be required following the game’s conclusion, just to make sure everything is still working fine. Chelsea was great on the counterattack as it created plenty of chances—but missed all of them. Everything, bar the finishing, went according to plan. Unfortunately, the lack of goals cost the Blues in the end as they were defeated in penalties. They were unable to lift their third trophy of the season due to a missed 11th penalty by none other than Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Here is how each individual played in Chelsea’s Carabao Cup final defeat:
Edouard Mendy (Goalkeeper): 50/10
If anyone asks who the best keeper in the world is right now, show them clips of Edouard Mendy’s performance in the Carabao Cup final. The Chelsea keeper was outstanding in every aspect of the game. He single handedly kept his side in the game on numerous occasions. Mendy pulled off some impossible saves that, otherwise, would have been clear goals for Liverpool. His positioning, reflexes and agility were as sharp as a knife throughout the entirety of his time on the pitch. Although he did not make it to the penalties, Chelsea would not have made it through the game without its No. 1 between the sticks. A 50/10 feels like a fair assessment of his performance.
Trevoh Chalobah (Right centerback): 6/10
The young, gifted defender struggled for most of the match against the likes of Luis Diaz. Trevoh Chalobah, despite his speed and intelligence, was having difficulties keeping up with the Colombian. He was often caught out, a little far up the pitch and was forced to sprint back to catch up with the Liverpool attack. However, inside the box, he was fantastic as he put his body between the shots and the keeper on numerous occasions. Chalobah also made some excellent tackles and kept calm in most cases. Although there was room for improvement, he did a decent job.
Thiago Silva (Centerback): 10/10
At this point, is this even a surprise? Thiago Silva rolled back the years with a fantastic defensive performance. The Brazilian made tackles timed to perfection, intercepted passes, blocked shots and even cleared the ball from going into an empty net. It is hard to believe Silva still plays this good at his age, but here we are. He was a wall at the back and the rest of the defenders need to learn from him before he is gone.
Antonio Rudiger (Left centerback): 9/10
The German international put on another fantastic performance in his own unique way. Defending, he covered spaces when deep balls were played in by the opposition. He even kept Mohamed Salah quiet for most the match. In addition, he did he things one would expect for Rudiger: sliding into a tackle with both feet, clearing the ball by attempting to kick it out of the stadium and getting into the opposition’s face. He’s got the works and we love it.