Everton 0-1 Chelsea player ratings: Glory at Goodison Park

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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 06: Jorginho of Chelsea scores their side’s first goal from a penalty, after Ben Chilwell of Chelsea ( not pictured ) is brought down inside the box by Abdoulaye Doucoure of Everton ( not pictured ), during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Chelsea FC at Goodison Park on August 06, 2022 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

Reece James (Right wingback): 6/10

Usually one of the most consistent performers of the team, Reece James, just looked off the pace for some reason at Goodison Park. Maybe it is because of the new season and him not being sharp enough, but it was clear to see with all the misplaced passes in the first half. He also had some bad corner deliveries. Overall, this was one below-average performance from James.

Jorginho (Central midfielder): 5.5/10

The man with ice in his veins is back for Chelsea as it was Jorginho who would convert the penalty which secured all three points and a rare victory at the Goodison Park. In the midfield, Jorginho was pulling all the strings, but quite a few times the Italian international was caught lacking. His lack of pace and physicality were exploited by the opposing attackers. Being the first match of the season, one cannot expect everyone to be fully fit and ready to go, so job well done by Jorginho.

N’Golo Kante (Central midfielder): 5.5/10

N’Golo Kante has always given everything in games and his work rate can never be questioned. Defensively, the French international was one of the best on the pitch when it came to intercepting the ball and taking it away. But one of the frustrating parts of his game on Saturday was his forward passes. Kante’s forward passes were very weak, but he made up for it with good defensive contributions, especially toward the end of the game.

Ben Chilwell (Left wingback): 6/10

Before the game, Tuchel doubted whether Ben Chilwell would even start or not. To the surprise of everyone, the England international started and played a good 65 minutes of football. The left wingback look far from his best and he largely lacks the pace in his game after recovering from his long-term injury last season, but his instincts are still sharp. They especially were when the penalty turned out to be the only goal of the game. Now with Marc Cucurella in the side, Chilwell can be eased into the starting XI, rather than be hurried in the starting rotation.

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