Chelsea 2-1 Watford player ratings: Ross Barkley the unlikely hero
By Joseph Joe
Chelsea ended their Premier League season by sealing a 2-1 win over Watford late at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon. There was nothing new about the performance as it was the same old story that has been seen for majority of the season. The Blues—once again—threw away a lead late against an opponent that rarely threatened, but a header at the death from Ross Barkley meant that the home team took all three points.
Kai Havertz netted home a well-taken cross from the lesser spotted Kenedy in the 11′ to set the Pensioners on their way. The former Bayer Leverkusen star would go on to miss several chances before the halftime whistle brought the first period to a close. After getting the early goal, it was definitely a thing of surprise as to how Thomas Tuchel’s side had not extended its lead bearing in mind that it had all the advantages, even letting the visitors have a decent spell of their own in the first 45 minutes.
The second half sparked into life very late with a Dan Gosling’s diving header almost snatching a point for Watford in the 86′. However, Barkley gave Chelsea the edge with one of his own in stoppage time. A late win was welcomed as the fans paid their final goodbyes to Antonio Rudiger and a number of other players likely to have played their last game at Chelsea. In other news, the Roman Abramovich era is slowly nearing it’s end as Todd Boehly was there to witness the win.
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Here’s how The Pride Of London rated the Chelsea players in their last game of the season:
Edouard Mendy (Goalkeeper): 7/10
Seeing as it was the last game of the season, a majority of the fanbase expected Tuchel to give Kepa Arrizabalaga a shot in goal, but the gaffer chose to stick with his trusted No. 1. The Senegalese, however, had little to do in the match with the Hornets having very little sting. He was never expected to have a busy afternoon, and he did well when called upon. He made a smart—and probably routine—stop to prevent Kiko Femenia from scoring at the near post, probably being the only real task of note for his duration in goal.
Cesar Azpilicueta (Right centerback): 5/10
While a decision over his future is far from settled, there would be nothing wrong if Cesar Azpilicueta decides to ultimately depart the club after nine years of faithful service and winning every possible trophy in a royal blue shirt. If that should happen, it may be the best decision for both parties involved, with the club captain again having a couple of sloppy and nervy ‘half moments’ that are slowly but surely creeping into his game on a more regular basis. Nearly whipping the ball into his own net was pretty careless from him too. You can easily tell that teams with more quality and experienced forwards than Watford—with all due respect—will have more and more good times against the Spaniard in future.
Thiago Silva (Centerback): 8/10
Chelsea’s fine wine. As far as getting the job done is concerned, O Monstro does it easily without even breaking a sweat. This is especially true when he is tasked with keeping the young Joao Pedro at bay. The only time he had to get out of second gear was to prevent a calamitous own goal from his skipper—simply impressive.
Antonio Rudiger (Left centerback): 8/10
The most painful thing about the German ace in this match was that there was no trademark long-range effort, at least as a parting gift from him. However, Antonio Rudiger was as dependable as ever at the left centerback position and richly deserved his plaudits as he left the field for the last time at Stamford Bridge.
Malang Sarr (Left back): 5/10
Malang Sarr was brought on for an injured Kenedy. He was a prime suspect as he had hands in Watford equaliser. The Frenchman really needs to work on his defensive awareness if he is to have a place in Chelsea starting XI in the upcoming season.