Chelsea were wasteful in front of the goal while also having moments of lapse at the back as they played out a 0-0 draw against West Ham United.
Chelsea started out strong, with Willian and Eden Hazard leading the charge and causing mayhem on either flank. It was West Ham though, that had the better chances in the entirety of the game. Chelsea’s best opportunities came in the form of a free David Luiz header from a corner and an Alvaro Morata effort, both in the second half.
West Ham were missing Marko Arnautovic, whose absence showed in the lack of finishing from the Hammers. Manuel Pellegrini will be ruing the missed chances as Chelsea held on for a 0-0 draw, despite the Blues dominating for majority of the ninety. We now take a look at how the Chelsea players fared individually.
Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6
While West Ham did manage to create clear-cut opportunities in front of goal, they seldom fired it towards Kepa Arrizabalaga and on target. Whenever Kepa was called out to do his routing job, he did it well and will be happy with another clean sheet to his name, despite the several chances created by the opposition.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 6
Another average performance from Azpiliceuta on the right side of the Chelsea defence. It seems the Spaniard is still getting used to his changed responsibilities from last season. Needs to do better.
Antonio Rudiger – 5
Much of the freedom that West Ham received was when Rudiger was caught out of position or sometimes watching the ball instead of the player. His long range efforts were also poor and he continued to be a shaky proposition at the back against West Ham. A ninety that Rudiger will be relieved to put behind him.
David Luiz – 6.5
If it had not been for David Luiz, Chelsea could very well have conceded a couple of goals. The Brazilian came in clutch on more than a couple of occasions. While he did not have a single successful tackle, his ability to unsettle players with his continuous pressure was what aided Chelsea’s clean sheet.
Marcos Alonso – 5.5
One of Alonso’s worst outings in a Chelsea shirt, the Spaniard never got going on Sunday. His forward forays did not yield much while he was prone to being found out at the back on a few occasions.
N’Golo Kante – 5.5
While there were no particular horror shows, the team in entirety played very differently to what we have witnessed so far from Chelsea this season. It is unusual to see N’Golo Kante end the ninety minutes with no tackles, a single interception while being dispossessed thrice. The midfielder Kante let this happen on a regular basis.
Jorginho – 6.5
On the better end of the performance spectrum on the day, Jorginho sprayed passes with ease, with a 90% accuracy while also posting two successful tackles.
Mateo Kovacic – 6
Started despite early concerns, Kovacic failed to post his usual presence in and around the final third and did not have the same impact with his darting runs like he usually has. Not his fault though, as the entire team seemed out of ideas.
Willian – 7
The best player in a Chelsea shirt on Sunday, Willian was brilliant with his deliveries from set-pieces. The Brazilian was also a constant nuisance on the right and was often the used outlet as Chelsea looked to break the West Ham defence. Could have had a couple of assists easily on another day, if not for his reckless decision making. Needs to improve on that.
Olivier Giroud – 4
Offered nothing as the starter. Looked jaded, despite not playing during the midweek. Had a couple of good chances to convert, but failed. Was provided a brilliant chance to fire home the opener and perhaps the winner towards the end of the first half but lost his balance inside the box. Not really helping his own cause.
Eden Hazard – 6
It is tough to mark out a bad Eden Hazard game. It happens perhaps twice in a season. But, we witnessed one of them on Sunday. Dispossessed SIX times during the ninety, Eden Hazard looked too trigger happy, almost looking desperate to score. He did have a couple of his usual runs. But, nothing compared to the Eden Hazard display we have come to expect from him.
Substitutions
Alvaro Morata – 5
Brought in for an almost non-existent Giroud, Morata was lively. But, he caught the eye, albeit not for the good reasons. Morata missed from around six yards out and was all over the place towards the end of the game.
Gary Cahill – 6
Cahill came in for Rudiger, who did play during the midweek as well. The veteran did not put too much of a foot wrong and shored up the defence quite well. Could see him start in the coming matches as Chelsea play the Carabao Cup and the Europa League.
Ross Barkley – 6.5
Ideally, a player who takes the field for less than 15 minutes is not given a rating. But, Ross Barkley provided more of a threat in the 10 or so minutes than Kovacic did during the rest of the ninety. Raises the case that Sarri could have started the Englishman instead of a not-fully-fit Kovacic.
