Southampton 2-1 Chelsea player ratings: Sterling scores again

Mateo Kovacic (Central midfielder): 6/10

Mateo Kovacic came on for the injured Loftus-Cheek at halftime, and playing the Croatian for the full half was dangerous, as he has just recovered from a knee injury he suffered in preseason. However, after the Croatian midfielder came on, he did quite well, despite looking a bit rusty. Kovacic played a plethora of excellent passes from the base of the midfield.

Armando Broja (Striker): 7/10

Armando Broja came on for Cesar Azpilicueta in the 67′, and from the get-go, the Albanian international looked miles better than Havertz as a center forward. The young striker brought some much-needed energy and physicality up front to the game—which Chelsea very much needed at that stage, trailing 2-1. Hopefully Broja gets some real chances to showcase his talent going forward after impressing in his brief cameo.

Christian Pulisic (Right wingback): 5/10

Christian Pulisic came on for Havertz in the 66′ and Captain America played as a right wingback when the formation was changed. Pulisic did bring in some much-needed energy into the gameplay, but his lack of physicality got the better of him as he got dominated by the opposition’s pressing back line. Obviously, the American playing in “an unfamiliar position” did no good to his performance either, which only hurt the Blues in the long run.

Ben Chilwell (Left wingback): 6/10

Ben Chilwell came on for Jorginho in the 67′ as the formation changed, and the English international started playing as a left wingback. He looked decent, secure enough while defending the ball, but very scarcely involved in the attacking half. It’s important for Chilwell to get these minutes—regardless of the result—as he gets back into the swing of things.

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