Leeds 0-3 Chelsea player ratings: Mount, Pulisic, Lukaku net

Reece James (Right wingback): 9/10

Reece James has been incredibly up and down lately. The defender had one of his best outings in awhile against Leeds. The Englishman’s performance had it all, from a sumptuous assist on the opener to buddy-buddy moments with Anthony Taylor and xB (expected bodies) being tallied left and right. It was vintage James in a match where Chelsea truly needed some inspiration from its on-field leaders.

Jorginho (Central midfielder): 8.5/10

Jorginho wasn’t flashy in this game and it was hard for casual spectators to even notice his presence in the middle of the park. However, unless he’s contributing with a penalty or an assist, isn’t this exactly how it should be? The Italian maestro helped pull the strings throughout the entirety of the match. It’s hard to overestimate the importance that the red card had on the match, but Jorginho’s presence in midfield allowed the Blues to control the tempo comfortably. This is something that’s been missing as of late—especially in the recent draw with Wolves. Leeds never really posed a threat in this match, and that’s large in part due to Jorginho doing the dirty work.

Mateo Kovacic (Central midfielder): N/A

Mateo Kovacic started the game with enthusiasm. His close control and dribbling were on point, as was his link-up play. Unfortunately, the Croatian midfielder didn’t have anything to show for it. Kovacic was not able to build on his positive start as he was victim of a heinous, reckless challenge from Daniel James in the opening half hour. He was substituted in the 30′ as he struggled to carry on following the red card tackle.

Marcos Alonso (Left wingback): 7/10

In a game where Chelsea controlled a majority (more than two-thirds) of possession and spent almost the entirety on the front foot, Marcos Alonso was uncharacteristically quiet. This is not to say he was bad, the Spaniard actually played well when he did find himself on the ball, but he was just surprisingly absent in the final third. He was one of the least best—it feels harsh to say worst, considering he was still quite good—performers on the evening.