Ben Chilwell and Jorginho stood out while N’Golo Kante impressed too as Chelsea cruised to a 4-0 win over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
It was a game of two halves and in the first 45 minutes, chances came few and far between, with neither side really managing to threaten the goal on either end. Post the interval, though, Chelsea were sparked into life, with Ben Chilwell breaking the deadlock just five minutes into the second period.
Chilwell then created the next goal, delivering an inch-perfect cross for Kurt Zouma to head in from with a quarter of the game left to play. The win was then rounded off courtesy two penalties, scored by Jorginho in quick succession after Tammy Abraham and Kai Havertz were brought down inside the Crystal Palace box.
Frank Lampard claimed in the aftermath of the match that Chelsea are still a work in progress, but the result was still crucial as it sent the Blues up to fourth on the Premier League table. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Lampard’s charges following an emphatic win over Crystal Palace.
Edouard Mendy: 6/10
Making his Premier League debut, Mendy had the best seat in the house to watch the rout unfold in the second half. The Senegalese international did not have to make a single save over the course of the game while misplacing just 2 of the 23 passes he attempted. The easiest of debuts.
Cesar Azpilicueta: 8/10
Given the chance to start ahead of Reece James for once in the Premier League, Azpilicueta repaid the faith that Lampard showed in him. For much of the game, the Chelsea captain completed negated the threat of Eberechi Eze. Later on, he also kept a check on the dangerous Wilfried Zaha. Not involved a great deal in the final third, but did his job at the back professionally.
Thiago Silva: 7/10
After the horrors of last weekend, Thiago Silva made amends and how. Tasked with keeping a check on the dangerous Zaha, the Brazilian defender was astute in his defensive work, although the brilliant Jorginho aided his cause a great deal as well. Saw a lot of the ball during build-up play and completed a staggering 112/116 passes on the day. Slowly settling in.
Kurt Zouma: 8/10
Preferred to Andreas Christensen, perhaps in order to help Edouard Mendy settle in the game, Zouma was a solid customer at the back. The Frenchman was not called into action a great deal at the back, but he did well when building up play from the back. Also capped off a solid performance by nodding in a thumping header from a Ben Chilwell cross. A much-needed positive showing.
Ben Chilwell: 9/10
3 – Ben Chilwell is just the third player to both score and assist a goal on their Premier League debut for Chelsea, after Deco in August 2008 and Alvaro Morata in August 2017. Value. #CHECRY pic.twitter.com/P0DecuSyQp
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 3, 2020
It might still be early days for Ben Chilwell at Chelsea, but his performance against Crystal Palace was hardly indicative of that. In the first half, Andros Townsend looked to put the Englishman under a bit of pressure, but that was nothing that the former Leicester City defender could not deal with.
Having already proven to be an upgrade on Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri, Chilwell then turned on the style in the second half. He first opened his Chelsea account with a driven volley from close range before setting Zouma up for the Blues’ second. A dream Premier League debut for Ben Chilwell.
N’Golo Kante: 8/10
Back into the side after being given a breather earlier this week, Kante was as Kante usually is – industrious and solid. The Frenchman helped his defenders by neutralising the influence of Jordan Ayew, winning 3 duels and completing 2 interceptions. He did not have a great deal to do on the ball, but off it, Kante was simply brilliant. Lampard would hope his late injury is not serious.
Jorginho: 9/10
Jorginho seems to be slowly winning back Lampard’s trust and his display against Crystal Palace was another step in the right direction. The Chelsea vice-captain was instrumental in negating the effect that Zaha had on the game while setting a quick tempo to the game as it progressed.
Capped off a formidable performance with two goals, making no mistake from the spot, twice. Having previously had his Chelsea future in doubt, Jorginho now seems to firmly be a part of Lampard’s plans and performances like the one on Saturday will take him a long way at Stamford Bridge.
Jorginho has scored two goals in a Premier League game for the first time in his career.
Both from the penalty spot. pic.twitter.com/EkRFjGBRW3
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 3, 2020
Callum Hudson-Odoi: 7.5/10
Starting ahead of Mason Mount, this was Hudson-Odoi’s chance to impress, especially amid links with Bayern Munich; and, the young winger grabbed his chance with both hands. A rare bright spark in a dull first half, Hudson-Odoi made a critical impact in the build-up to Chilwell’s goal, with his run leaving Crystal Palace out of shape.
Continued to take the game to the Crystal Palace defenders, providing 2 key passes while missing a mere 3 passes all game. If Hudson-Odoi can perform at this level consistently, there is no reason to think why he cannot challenge the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic this season.
Kai Havertz: 7/10
It has been a slow start to his Premier League career for Kai Havertz. Things did not improve drastically for the German international against Crystal Palace, but it was still a step forward. The youngster was much more involved this time around, showing a lot of intent on and off the ball. Played in 3 key passes while winning the second penalty that Jorginho converted. Getting there.
Timo Werner: 4/10
Like his compatriot, Werner’s Chelsea career is yet to take off, at least as far as the Premier League is concerned. The German striker was once again deployed on the left-wing, although he took up more central positions as the game wore on. Werner, though, hardly made a notable impact on the game and failed to score from his only shot. In desperate need of some inspiration.
Tammy Abraham: 6/10
Frank Lampard on the Tammy Abraham penalty incident:
? "It's been dealt with. No problems. Just dealt with. I want leaders – and a little bit of conflict.
"It's good that Tammy was enthusiastic but you don't jump ahead of the list." [BT Sport] pic.twitter.com/PriUo1c442
— Goal (@goal) October 3, 2020
Much like Werner, Abraham did not really influence the game a great deal, with his rating being bumped due to the fact that he earned one of the penalties that Jorginho scored from. Got into a bit of a scuffle with the Chelsea vice-captain for the second penalty before being pulled away by Cesar Azpilicueta. That was more than the action he was involved in otherwise in the game, which says a lot.
SUBSTITUTES
Christian Pulisic: N/A
On for Hudson-Odoi, Pulisic had a couple of bright moments during his cameo. Crucial minutes to help him regain his sharpness and kick-start his 2020/21 season.
Mateo Kovacic: N/A
A late introduction in place of Kante, Kovacic helped see the game out.
