Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham: Four standout Blues in derby win

Chelsea finally climbed into 8th place last night after dispatching Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs almost as easily as the reverse fixture. Mauricio Pochettino’s men left Stamford Bridge with three points on the board and a chip on their shoulders. 

Chelsea went into this game needing, not just this win, but any win, especially after the 5-0 Arsenal battering two games back. Tottenham Hotspur had just come from a North London Derby defeat, so Postecoglou’s men had a point to prove. It was a complete performance for the Blues, but some players deserve special recognition. Here are four players that stood out in the derby victory:

Mykhailo Mudryk (No. 10)

Mudryk was superb against Spurs, in and out of possession. He was far more effective than he usually is, especially as an outlet in buildup down Chelsea’s left hand side. Badiashile kept playing the ball out to him in buildup and he always received it well and retained the ball. 

He was also excellent going forward, as he completed 2/3 dribbles, created three chances and even created Chelsea’s first clear cut chance of the game. A chance Nicolas Jackson missed. 

Mudryk was great defensively too, often running back to help out his fullback (Marc Cucurella). The Ukraine international didn’t register any goal involvement, but his presence was felt. 

Moises Caicedo (No. 25)

Caicedo was out of this world defensively. On the ball he was quite poor, but his role in winning the ball back for Chelsea was essential to the victory. 

The Ecuador midfielder completed 5/5 tackles for the Blues, and won 9/11 ground duels. He made nine defensive actions on the night and even helped the Blues evade pressure by winning many fouls.  No one on the pitch won more fouls than Caicedo, tying that statistic with Cucurella (4).

Caicedo’s long passing was non-existent, as well as his dribbling, but the record signing was excellent without the ball. 

Conor Gallagher (No. 23)

Gallagher forced a physical battle that Tottenham was not quite ready for. He made his presence felt with his industry and tenacity. He gave away four fouls, but also won three. He contested seven tackles and completed four of them.

The sheer volume of duels he contested unsettled Postecoglou’s men, even though he didn’t win a majority of them. His passing was great too, though only attempting 24 passes. His cross for Trevoh Chalobah’s goal was excellent. 

Marc Cucurella (No. 3)

Cucurella was excellent defensively, and has a case for being Chelsea’s best player on the night. He won every duel he contested. Literally. He won 9/9 ground duels, completed 4/4 tackles, won 4 fouls, and made a game-high four interceptions. Cucurella deserves his flowers particularly because of how harsh the fans have been - and still are - on him.