How did each Chelsea player perform against Leeds United?

Chelsea was humbled by Leeds United in a 3-0 defeat that was full of errors as Edouard Mendy set the tone for the Blues’ abysmal display. Brenden Aaronson gave the Whites the lead in the first half after Mendy’s awful error tuned the game on its head. The Blues’ goalkeeper tried to dribble out of pressure in his own six-yard box, only to be dispossessed and give away an inexplicable goal that put the visitors in a deep hole from the off.

Leeds’ second goal came from a set piece, which it won at the edge of the Chelsea area. Rodrigo headed it home to seemingly end all hope of a comeback by the visitors just moments after the initial score. The third goal was tapped in by Jack Harrison in the second half as the Blues’ defence was swarmed by attacking bodies looking to pounce on the end of a cross. The afternoon at Elland Road seemingly couldn’t get any worse, but Kalidou Koulibaly ensured it could as he saw a red for a second bookable offence late on.

The prized new possession in defense will now be out for the tie against Leicester City next weekend, which is not good news for Thomas Tuchel’s struggling side. However, before looking ahead to the Foxes, it’s time to reflect on the mistakes that were made at the weekend.

Here is how each individual performed at Elland Road during Sunday’s abysmal showing:

Edouard Mendy (Goalkeeper)

Mendy had a good game in the opening 30 minutes, before being responsible for the first goal. The Chelsea shot-stopper kept hold of the ball for too long near Aaronson, practically trying to dribble past him in his own box. A poor touch saw the American dispossess the keeper and tap the ball in for an easy finish. Mendy cannot be completely faulted for the two goals that followed, but he set the tone for the afternoon with his mistake. He has to improve his work on the ball as teams will likely target this weakness going forward.

Reece James (Right centerback)

For most of the game, Reece James was largely as poor as the rest of the team. He should have tracked Rodrigo’s run better when the Whites netted their second goal. James was a more improved player when he was moved out to his favorite right wingback role in the second half, providing further proof that playing in the back three does not help him or the team.

Thiago Silva (Centerback)

One of Chelsea’s best player on the day was Thiago Silva. The Brazilian could do nothing to influence the match in the right direction, but he rarely put a foot wrong and he stopped a few Leeds passes from getting behind the defense.

Kalidou Koulibaly (Left centerback)

The Senegalese international was under great pressure by Leeds from the opening whistle. He got a very early booking when he held Aaronson’s shirt after the American winger left him for dead. This made him walk a tightrope for the rest of the game. Koulibaly should have done better to attempt to win the header that saw Harrison score the third goal in the second half. His day went from bad to worse when got sent off after picking up a second yellow card with a tactical foul after bringing down Joe Gelhardt. It was a bad day at the office for the new Chelsea defender.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Right wingback)

Ruben Loftus-Cheek had a disappointing day after his really excellent showing against Tottenham. Like many of his teammates, he was generally wasteful in possession. Loftus-Cheek a much better player when he drifted to the midfield in the second half. He was entrusted with the responsibility of being the only midfielder on the pitch as the game carried on.

Jorginho (Central midfielder)

It was a difficult day at office for the Italian international, who was constantly pressured and outnumbered by the opposition in the midfield. He struggled with accuracy in his passing and he was brought off with Conor Gallagher in Tuchel’s first substitutions just after the hour mark.

Conor Gallagher (Central midfielder)

The full debutant had a rough day in the midfield, just as his partner did. While Gallagher showed flashes of his ability going forward, he lost the ball too often. He looked more confident in the midfield three in second half. This is definitely not how he’d have wanted his first full start at his long-time club, Chelsea, to look like.

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Marc Cucurella (Left wingback)

Marc Cucurella was a very energetic performer, but he lacked the final touch in the opposition’s final third. He was doing almost too much with the ball at times and it seemed like he was a target for the Leeds players whenever in possession. A disappointing day for the new defender.

Mason Mount (Right winger)

Mason Mount was poor in the first half as he struggled to find himself in the game. He did show good ability to carry the ball against a well-placed Leeds defence as he grew into the match though. Mount was taken into the midfield in a trio and ultimately struggled as he is to be faulted for Leeds’ third goal. Mount eventually allowed Harrison to ghost in unchallenged to net the Whites’ final goal. He faded for most part of the game.

Kai Havertz (Center forward)

The less said about the German, the better. Kai Havertz was completely non-existent for 99.9% of the first half. He helped connect play a bit more frequently in the second half though. Havertz blocked Hakim Ziyech’s shot at some point too. He really needs to start putting in better performances or his Chelsea future might be in jeopardy.

Raheem Sterling (Left winger)

Chelsea’s best attacker for the third straight game in a row was Raheem Sterling. He was largely non-existent, but he did get on the ball in promising areas a few times, though nothing came to fruition. Sterling spurned a chance to put the Blues ahead early in the first half as he couldn’t keep his shot on target. When the ball did get in the back of the net, it was ruled out for offside.

Christian Pulisic (Substitute)

Christian Pulisic never really got into the game and he even lost possession a few times. The American showed some drive to try and create something down the middle though.

Hakim Ziyech (Substitute)

Similar to Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech was tasked with playing in a deeper role than he was used to against Leeds United. The Moroccan tried a couple of things here and there from distance, but he could really not do anything to improve the Blues’ position in the match.

Cesar Azpilicueta (Substitute)

Cesar Azpilicueta was brought on after Koulibaly got a red card. There was little opportunity for the captain to have any impact on the game with his side already 3-0 down.

Ben Chilwell (Substitute)

Solid performance from Ben Chilwell, although there was little he could do to put a foot wrong.

What did you make of each performance? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!