Chelsea 3-2 Luton Town player ratings: Lukaku goal seals the deal

Christian Pulisic (Right wingback): 7/10

Christian Pulisic looked confident, even though he was forced to play deeper as Hudson-Odoi’s replacement at right wingback. He positively influenced play when going forward, helping the Blues secure a statement win on the night. There isn’t much to say about his defensive work as he came on in the 62′, when Luton was still nursing a lead and could afford to sit back. Pulisic didn’t do anything truly of note, he was much more involved and better overall than Hudson-Odoi though, so the rating reflects that fact.

Harvey Vale (Central midfielder): 7.5/10

It was great to see the young attacker get involved for a nice chunk of time. Harvey Vale was very good in his outing earlier in the campaign against Brentford, which makes Chelsea fans wonder why we haven’t seen more of him in these deep cup runs. He came on alongside Pulisic around the 60′ mark and slotted into central midfield, kicking Saul over to left wingback. Vale looked to be in a creative mood as he tried a series of complex passes over the top and back-heel flicks during his half hour cameo. Although he didn’t record a goal or assist, he was still a welcomed addition.

Reece James (Right centerback): 7/10

James came on as a tactical substitution that allowed Loftus-Cheek the chance to move further up the pitch and thus, get himself more involved. The English defender helped the Blues calmly see out the result after going ahead, all while getting minutes under his belt as he continues to recover from a long-term injury. James even helped out in attack when he was given the opportunity to march forward, something opponents will never have to send him a second invitation to do.

Thomas Tuchel (Manager): 8/10

There was a lot that could have gone wrong tonight. Truthfully, few would’ve blamed Tuchel for the struggles either. Chelsea had its work cut out for it already with a trip to a hostile away ground to face a playoff-contending Championship club, on the back of a heartbreaking loss in the Carabao Cup final. Add on the Abramovich news and the game status for a lot of first team players and it looked grim early on. Alas, Tuchel was able to inspire a comeback from his makeshift team.

The gaffer’s substitutions worked to perfection, he allowed a lot of key figures to get a rest and he managed to guide his side into the FA Cup quarterfinals. Tuchel gets some points off for some of the decisions he made in the starting XI, but this author must also take into account the limited options he had at his disposal.

What rating would you give to each of the players? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!