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

Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Central midfielder): 7/10

Ruben Loftus-Cheek was called upon at the half-hour mark to replace Kovacic, who picked up on knock. He brought something a little different to the game than the man he replaced, which is probably why it took Chelsea so long to come up with a second goal. Despite the occasional darting run up the pitch, Loftus-Cheek remained in a more holding role than Kovacic often does. He misplaced a few passes and his close control wasn’t as solid as that of the Croatian. Nevertheless, the appearance gave Loftus-Cheek the chance to get some more well-earned minutes under his belt ahead of an important summer.

Cesar Azpilicueta (Right wingback): N/A

Cesar Azpilicueta relieved James of his duties with about 10 minutes to go plus stoppage time left in the match. His instructions were far more defensive than the Englishman’s seeing as the goal at that stage was to secure a clean sheet. Azpilicueta helped Chelsea achieve this feat, even though he had little-to-nothing to do in the closing stages.

Hakim Ziyech (Right winger): N/A

Hakim Ziyech came on for his regularly scheduled late-game cameo, relieving the Blues’ second goalscorer, Pulisic, on the front line. The Moroccan earned an assist as he selflessly played in Lukaku for Chelsea’s third goal of the evening. His staple left-footed shot from just outside the box wasn’t far off either. An encouraging outing for the forward struggling for minutes.

Thomas Tuchel (Manager): 9/10

I must preface this analysis by saying that I understand this game was being played against Leeds, who currently sits in 18th in the Premier League. However, we saw just how much brainless decisions from the manager can impact the game—even against some of the worst the English top flight has to offer—against Everton and Wolves lately. Tuchel got every decision right at Elland Road. His starting XI was on-point, his tactics were perfect and his changes were immaculate. The gaffer deserves a lot of credit for the response from his side, as well.

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