It was a collectively poor showing from the Chelsea players at the coronation of Manchester City in the Etihad; not least because Manchester City rested nine of the players that started against Read Madrid in midweek.
Frank Lampard’s men came up against a Manchester City team that included Cole Palmer (zero Premier League starts before yesterday) , Rico Lewis (eight starts), Kalvin Philips (zero starts), and Stefan Ortega-Moreno (one start), and yet, Man City still looked comfortable. The home side did not play particularly well, but save for a few moments where Chelsea came close to scoring, there was no encouragement at any point that the west London side would get something back.
Chelsea wasn’t dreadful, as they created as many clear cut chances as the newly-elected Champions, but they were unable to finish their dinner. Here are three Blues who stood up to be counted:
3 Chelsea players that impressed against Manchester City
Lewis Hall (No. 67) Left wingback, England
18-year-old Lewis Hall made his 10th senior appearance for his boyhood club and he played very well, considering the circumstances and the opposition. Yes, there were some injuries that facilitated his inclusion in the starting lineup, but he took his chance, which cannot be said for certain others.
Benoit Badiashile‘s injury probably inspired Lampard to go to a three centerback formation, and with both Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella out injured, Hall’s inclusion was a not-so-difficult decision for the 211-goal Stamford Bridge legend. Hall played 81 minutes and created one of Chelsea’s best chances of the game.
He completed an impressive 2/3 crosses and won 5/6 tackles. He won an overwhelming majority of his duels, winning 6/8 that he contested. When you consider that the youngster came up against a seasoned 1-v-1 specialist in Riyad Mahrez, you understand just how impressive that performance was.
The Blues No. 67 took two shots, both on target, and completed 84% of his passes, which is very good for a wingback. Fans can be excited about Hall for the coming season, and he would be a valuable member of the squad, even if it’s as a backup to any of the players above him in the pecking order. The knowledge that he can deliver in a big game in the absence of both senior left backs is reassuring.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (No. 12) Central midfielder, England
Loftus-Cheek is another player that was very good on the day. The 1.9m Englishman has been linked with permanent away from the club, with AC Milan mentioned. He seemed to play as the deeper of the two central midfielders against Man City and while no one can make the case that the away side’s midfield did a stellar job, Loftus-Cheek was very good indeed.
He kept things simple, something that was important considering the ability of the opposition to punish mistakes. Loftus-Cheek, like Hall, was strong in his duels, winning 6/7. He completed 92% of his passes as well, making four passes into the final third.
He also helped the Blues get out of sticky situations with his ball carrying, completing 2/3 dribbles. He has generally played well this season, considering that he has been a squad player. He would be difficult to replace in this sense, because he has stepped up and done a good job in the majority of games he has been called upon this turbulent season, while being relatively content with his role.
Thiago Silva (No. 6) Centerback, Brazil
It’s a good thing Silva was fit for this game, because even though he hasn’t been stellar in the past few weeks, he’s still one of the calmer heads on the team, especially in defense, and he showed it again yesterday. Other than the impressive feat of winning his few duels against Erling Haaland, Silva helped the Blues handle many Man City attacks.
Julian Alvarez did run off him to finish the chance that ultimately saw the home side win the game, but Alvarez was so efficient in that play that the goal is more down to how good the Argentine is rather than the Brazilian losing concentration. Silva made nine defensive actions, including winning 2/2 duels. Those nine actions include three key interceptions. His ball retention was so good that he had just two possession losses to his name, which is incredible.
It’s difficult to predict where Chelsea’s next win this season will come from, and it’s more likely that Lampard’s men get zero points from the next two games, but as long as players continue to give their best on the pitch, there’s hope.