It was Chelsea’s 62nd game of the seemingly never-ending campaign, and its performance was no surprise as that has been the norm as of late. Even incumbent owner Todd Boehly has attended several games in recent weeks, and like the majority of the fans, has become used to a certain performance from Thomas Tuchel’s side. It was a performance defined by energy and promise, but dulled by the Blues’ lack in quality. Hopefully for supporters, this will change as a result of the upcoming summer transfer window.
This contest against Leicester City was the Marcos Alonso show. It was a comical Alonso defensive error followed by a make-up goal from the Spaniard that saw the game end 1-1. There were countless chances that went missing—the most glaring by Christian Pulisic—coupled by a reckless challenge by Antonio Rudiger. The home side started quickly with energy and vigour with Hakim Ziyech firing an early warning shot. Yet, poor reoccurring defending—which has been significant part of this season—came to light and the wasteful finishing took center stage.
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Let’s take a look at how The Pride of London rated each player’s performance on the day:
Edouard Mendy (Goalkeeper): 6/10
Edouard Mendy was untroubled for much of the game and he had no hand in Chelsea conceding on Thursday night. He often came out to claim the ball bravely and showed world class sweeper skills, as well as instincts, in the latter stages of the match.
Trevoh Chalobah (Right centerback): 8/10
Trevoh Chalobah had a very solid performance all game and he was a good match for Jamie Vardy, as he kept the England striker in check. He had a brilliant long range shot that was saved very well by Kasper Schmeichel in the initial stages. It was the sort of shot he scored from earlier this season against Crystal Palace. Overall, a solid performance from the youngster.
Thiago Silva (Centerback): 8/10
It’s always a joy watching the Brazilian play. Thiago Silva has made fans get used to the fact that consistent performances are possible at the age of 37 . . . unreal. He was solid at the back once again and for that reason, he is likely to win the Player of the Season award.
Antonio Rudiger (Left centerback): 6/10
It was another solid outing by the German centreback, although he will be unhappy that the deflection from him set up James Maddison for the first goal. Antonio Rudiger was fortunate not to be sent off after a rough tackle, which saw both his feet above the ground. He only got a yellow.
Reece James (Right wingback): 8/10
Reece James was impressive all game. He provided the assist for the Blues’ equalizer as he played a sumptuous cross to Alonso to finish off. James did have quite the tussle with Luke Thomas all game though. He was given the freedom to roam when Cesar Azpilicueta came on, as he slotted into midfield as a No. 8. James put in another versatile and impressive performance.
N’Golo Kante (Central midfielder): 8/10
The Frenchman showed no shortage of desire and drive as he aimed to constantly drive Chelsea forward through the middle of the pitch. N’Golo Kante showed glimpses of his normal self as he constantly disrupted Leicester City‘s play and found spaces in behind, as well. The former Foxes midfielder was harshly handed a yellow card at the start of the second half, which proved to be the only mark on an otherwise good night.
Jorginho (Central midfielder): 6/10
Jorginho had a really quiet evening. He was overshadowed by Maddison as the Leicester City man kept him in check whenever the Blues were in possession.
Marcos Alonso (Left wingback): 7/10
Alonso made a bizarre error, which led to the first goal as he failed to track the run of Timothy Castagne. The left wingback made up for his error—a staple Alonso thing—by producing a glorious strike to level proceedings at Stamford Bridge. The Spaniard was constantly an attacking outlet all through the match as he constantly pushed things up through the left wing as Chelsea kept pressing for the winner throughout the second half.
Cesar Azpilicueta (Right wingback): 6/10
Azpilicueta had a steady game and he helped control proceedings comfortably.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Central midfielder): 7/10
Ruben Loftus-Cheek replaced Kante in the middle of the park and the England international was impressive. Loftus-Cheek was proactive and looked to always drive forward whenever he was in possession.
Hakim Ziyech (Right winger): 6/10
Hakim Ziyech showed intent to win the game for the Blues right from the opening moments of the match, as he took a shot which was saved in the opening five minutes. He also continued to show that he’s a good passer of the ball—an aspect of his game that has been very much lacking in his recent outings—and also showed stints of wizardry. Probably not consistent enough for the whole of the 90 minutes, which only left supporters wanting more from him.
Romelu Lukaku (Striker): 5/10
Romelu Lukaku struggled to find his footing for much of the match and picked up a yellow while trying to prevent Maddison from countering In the second half. The Belgian had a good chance from a cross by Ziyech in 61′, which he could not direct on goal. Lukaku served Christian Pulisic with a chance which should have buried the game, but the United States international could not convert it. Unfortunately, that was the striker’s biggest contribution on the evening.
Christian Pulisic (Left winger): 4/10
The former Dortmund player will be agitated with himself for not scoring the match winner after the chance was clearly served to him on a plate. Pulisic struggled to make any real impact during his time on the pitch as he missed numerous great opportunities.
Kai Havertz (Striker): N/A
Kai Havertz replaced Lukaku and he didn’t have much to do. The German was put on goal by Ziyech late on, but all he could do was strike the air. Havertz has struggled to make impacts off the bench so far this season, especially during the last few weeks as he’s been in and out of injury.
What rating would you give to each of the players for the match against the Foxes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!