Chelsea finally got a much needed win as Crystal Palace visited Stamford Bridge. While Pochettino’s tactics may still seem to be wavering, the three points were secured and that’s all that matters. Let’s take a look at how each player fared in the latest Premier League outing.
Djordje Petrovic - 8
Petrovic impressed again in his latest Premier League cameo filling in for the injured Robert Sanchez. Sanchez may be soon wondering if the No.1 spot is no longer securely his though. Petrovic showed he is not one for nonsense in his box and clearing all balls that came his way. He made a few key stops from impressive shots and although he conceded a goal, you would be hard pressed to find a keeper that could have stopped that shot. Petrovic continues to make his claim for the Blues' new stopper.
Malo Gusto - 8.5
Gusto could’ve been up to a No.9 if he wasn’t forced to play on the left. He clearly does not prefer that side and is much more comfortable on the right. While he was on the right he was lethal. Going forward with pace, making key passes and crosses. Linking up nicely with almost every player on the field, Gusto gave the assist for Mudryk’s goal. He seems to be a key player moving forward and should absolutely be staying on the right side as a Reece James replacement.
Alex Disasi - 6
Disasi again gave an uninspired performance. While every player on defense can be blamed for Palace’s goal, Disasi never looked comfortable at either position he played.He looked lost going forward and the majority of his passing was backwards or sideways. While he remains a physical presence in the air, fans may be starting to wonder what else he is bringing to the table.
Benoit Badiashile - 5.5
Simply put, Badisahile is not having a good run of form. In fact, it may have been a surprise to see him in the starting XI tonight. Unfortunately, he did himself no favors tonight. Largely unaware of Olise’s position for their goal, he didn’t do much to make up for it later on. There is a very good player within Badiashile, and her could be in a temporary slump, but the future looked, at one point, to be bright for him and hopefully that player will emerge again shortly.
Levi Colwill - 6
Again, Colwill looked out of place at LB and it showed tonight. While some decent tackles were made, his defensive awareness on the left flank looks to be fragile at best. On multiple occasions Mudryk was tracking back to help him and even put in a few tackles. Colwill is still quite young and is continuing to play out of his natural position. Whether that continues when the likes of Chilwell and Cucurella come back from injury remains to be seen, but surely Pochettino must realize that LB is not where Colwill belongs.
Conor Gallagher - 8
Gallagher again was immensely impressive and seemed to be the engine in our midfield. There is a hunger about this young man and he is determined to prove himself to the home faithful. Gallagher continues to put it all out on the pitch and is both controlling and dictating the tempo of the midfield. Today Gallagher was forward and direct. His ball winning and physicality was a welcome sight when it seemed CFC were lacking a strong presence. Gallagher continues to make his point for player of the season.
Moises Caicedo - 6.5
Caicedo was largely at fault for the Eagles' goal and could’ve been responsible for another. He was mistake prone today and gave the ball away in key areas and made sloppy passes. His decision making was a step too slow and he looked to be chasing after the ball for most of the match. Caicedo thus far has had a few games where he’s shown his brilliance and a few where he’s been less than inspiring. Unfortunately today the later was true for Caicedo.
Ian Maatsen - 6
Maatsen finally was given a chance to start under Pochettino, however, it was peculiarly at right wing. While this baffled many fans, they were hoping Matseen would make the most of his chance in the starting XI. Unfortunately, it didn’t amount to much. Aside from a couple decent runs, Maatsen did not offer much going forward, and defensively didn’t help out Gusto too much. While he can’t be judged too harshly as he was playing well out of position, he didn’t do himself any favors trying to get back into the starting XI.
Christopher Nkunku - 7.5
Finally, the man Chelsea fans have been waiting months for makes his first start for the Blues. Spending most of the match playing in a CAM spot, Nkunku looked very bright. He wanted to get forward and attack defenders and looked to play with a bit of flair. Nkunku linked up well with everyone on the pitch, especially Mudryk. He had a golden opportunity to bag his first goal at Stamford Bridge, but a questionable call and/or blunder prevented it. While he is certainly still acclimating back from injury Nkunku so far looks to be the player Chelsea fans have been waiting for.
Mykhaylo Mudryk - 8
Yet again Mudryk looked to be dangerous and Chelsea’s best attacker. He’s slowly solidifying his way into a constant starting XI spot. His desire to move the ball forward and attack with pace is refreshing after so many others choose to move sideways and backwards. His pace is still quite something to behold and while his skill needs a bit of fine tuning, he’s on his way to developing into a very good player. His goal came from a great build up from a few Blues but Mudryk could have gotten on the end of another. He can hopefully continue to grow and develop and become a lethal attacker for CFC.
Nicholas Jackson - 7
Jackson again perhaps left fans divided but he displayed strong build up play and connected well with Mudryk and Nkunku. He is offside far too often and clinically isn’t anywhere near a starting caliber striker. There are glimmers of hope and every time he seems to take a step forward he takes two steps back. Jackson missed an absolute sitter, but then neatly tucks away a more improbable goal, only to be declared offsides by the hairs on his kneecap. There is a player in there with Jackson and every so often it comes out, he just needs consistency for the time being.
Substitutes
Armando Broja - 6.5
Broja came on in the 71st minute replacing Mudryk and looked to instantly try and make an impact. His camel however didn’t go according to plan. He certainly tried to get on the end of some attacks and almost did if it weren’t for the side netting. While it is still a toss up who should be at the helm between Broja and Jackson, unfortunately neither did much to cement their chances.
Thiago Silva - 6
Silva came in for a brief cameo and he should have been brought in to control the pace of the match and calm things down. Unfortunately, he didn’t do much to help. In fact, he made quite a few errors, one of which could have led to a goal. Silva remains to be a steady CB and has shown his class time and time again. However, he’s starting to show his age just as much as his class. A problem will certainly be on the horizon for Pochetino and what to do with Thiago Silva.
Romeo Lavia - 6.5
Another player the Chelsea faithful have long been waiting to make his debut finally stepped on the pitch tonight for the first time. There was nothing to write home about which can be both good and bad. While 30 minutes can sometimes be difficult to make an instant impact in certain positions, Lavia certainly didn’t show any glaring issues either. A perfectly fine first time out and something to build on for sure.
Noni Madueke - 8
Madueke also entered in the 71st minute with Broja and was instantly looking to make an impact. He was determined to run at defenders and dribble wherever there was an opening. He looked sharp and looked to have a point to prove to Pochettino. It was Madueke who drew the foul that led to the penalty kick after a clever bit of dribbling and Madueke himself who tucked the penalty away brilliantly to give Chelsea the lead. With the shakiness Raheem Sterling has been showing of late, Chelsea fans may start to wonder if Madueke should be getting the nod instead.