Chelsea 2021/22 player ratings (part one): Goalkeepers and defense

Antonio Rudiger (Centerback): 7.5/10

Antonio Rudiger played the left centerback role excellently. He played the most games and by far the most minutes last season, clocking in at over 5,000 minutes in total. He was not as good as he was in the second half of the 2020/21 season, but he was still very good. Rudiger took more shots in the Premier League than all other Chelsea centerbacks combined. In fact, he took as many shots as he had tackles won (48).

Rudiger may have been the Blues’ best player in the EFL Cup, averaging 7.7 long balls per game (64% accuracy) and making nine interceptions in three games. His tendency to attempt many long passes meant he didn’t hit up to 90% in passing accuracy, despite his distribution being very good. One of the most important things to credit Rudiger for is his professionalism and focus, despite his  rather messy contract situation. He made his terms clear, but he made his decision when he saw Chelsea was not going to and could not (due to sanctions) budge.

Malang Sarr (Centerback/left back): 6/10

Malang Sarr made 21 appearances in all competitions, just crossing the 1,500-minute mark on the year. He wasn’t dazzling, but he was far from poor all things considered. Sarr’s performances only look unsatisfactory if he was supposed to be a starter, but he wasn’t. The Frenchman was a fifth-choice centerback, and he mostly played as left back or at left centerback in the “absence” (or rest) of Rudiger, which wasn’t often. For a back-up centerback, Sarr was just fine. In eight league appearances for Chelsea, he made 11 interceptions and won 14 tackles.

Thiago Silva (Centerback): 8.5/10

Thiago Silva was comfortably the Blues’ best defender last season. He led the team in interceptions, clearances, passes, blocks and long balls. Silva was superb in all competitions for Chelsea, making 48 appearances and playing more than 3,900 minutes. Silva actually had more interceptions than tackles completed in the Premier League. He averaged an 86% aerial duel success rate in the Champions League, which is impressive for someone who’s only six feet tall.

The Brazilian’s passing and composure were second to none. His intelligence to always stay two steps ahead of play saved Chelsea from many embarrassing moments. Silva is getting on in age, but there is not a single disadvantage in having him in the dressing room. There was definitely no disadvantage in having him on the pitch last season either. He was phenomenal in the FA Cup final against Liverpool last season. Unfortunately, there was nothing to show for that.

Statistics are courtesy of SofaScore and Transfermarkt.

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