Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino once again had the courage of his conviction to bench the veteran Thiago Silva. This decision seemed to pay off again, not because the Blues were awesome defensively on the night, but because Silva's absence helped the pressing and buildup play. The Blues were much better shooters than their visitors on the night, a rare occurrence for the west Londoners. Here is how the Pride of London rates the individual performances.
Djordje Petrovic: 4/10
It was a poor showing from the goalkeeper, albeit an uncharacteristic one. Petrovic could take some blame for the two goals, as his poor positioning for the first goal didn't help him, and he was beaten at his near post in the 90th minute. His distribution was forgettable too.
Malo Gusto: 7.5/10
Gusto was very good defensively, but on the ball not too much. He made 11 defensive actions, including three key interceptions, and completed 4/4 tackles on the night. His crossing was off though, and his distribution was below par.
Axel Disasi: 7/10
Disasi did well against Howe's men. He was up against a physical Alexander Isak and he managed it relatively well. He also completed 4/4 tackles and won 4/5 ground duels. His distribution was also very good.
Trevoh Chalobah: 5.5/10
Chalobah was not great on the night, and his distribution was particularly bad. He recorded a 69% passing accuracy, an 85% short passing accuracy, and an 11% long passing accuracy. These numbers are inexplicable for a centerback. He was OK defensively.
Marc Cucurella: 6/10
Cucurella came back into the starting lineup after many months out. He was very good defensively, but his distribution was off.