Kai Havertz and Tammy Abraham were the stars of the show as Chelsea romped to a 6-0 win over Barnsley in the Carabao Cup third round.
The early stages of the game were keenly contested, as Barnsley took the game to Chelsea. Thiago Silva and Fikayo Tomori had a couple of nervy moments in the initial exchanges, but it was an error by Barnsley defender Aapo Halme that saw Chelsea taking the lead, as Tammy Abraham scored the opener. Less than 10 minutes later, the hosts were two to the good.
Kai Havertz opened his account for Chelsea, drifting into the box to collect Mason Mount’s pass before scoring past Brad Collins. Early into the second half, Chelsea were 3-0 up, with Havertz helping set up the goal for Ross Barkley, who produced a fine finish for his strike. Havertz then scored his second, with Tammy Abraham playing him in with a clever flick.
Havertz would then go on to complete his hat-trick midway through the second half, with Abraham setting him up yet again. The win was rounded off in the 83rd minute, as Olivier Giroud nodded in Ben Chilwell’s cross from close range. With Chelsea progressing to the Carabao Cup fourth round, The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Frank Lampard’s men.
Willy Caballero: 8/10
This was not a game where Caballero was expected to be busy. However, the veteran goalkeeper ended up being quite crucial before Chelsea eventually put themselves well ahead of Barnsley. In all, the Argentine made 9 saves, two of which were right out of the top drawer. Also precise with the ball at his feet, he completed an impressive 83 percent of his attempted passes.
Cesar Azpilicueta: 8/10
In the starting lineup for the first time this season, Azpilicueta produced a typically reliable display on Wednesday. A big block early in the game denied Barnsley a goal and hardly put a foot wrong thereafter. Involved in the build-up to the fifth goal, playing the ball towards Tammy Abraham before Havertz completed his hat-trick. Strong showing, this, from the Chelsea captain.
Fikayo Tomori: 7/10
Another player who was turning out for the first time this term, Tomori was a bit nervy to begin with, as Barnsley took the game to Chelsea. However, he soon found stable footing, which helped him forge a strong partnership with Thiago Silva. Accurate when playing out from the back, he completed 93 percent of his 106 attempted passes. Should be in contention to start this weekend.
Thiago Silva: 7/10
Making his debut at long last, Thiago Silva, like Tomori, was a little sluggish at first. But, it was not long before he grabbed the game by the scruff of its neck, shutting out Barnsley efficiently for the most part. Also won 100 percent of his duels, while losing the ball just four times all game. A solid enough start to his Chelsea career.
Thiago Silva's Chelsea debut by numbers:
100% aerial duels won (1/1)
100% tackle success (1/1)
94% pass accuracy (64/68)
0 goals concededNearly perfect. ? pic.twitter.com/TJnSAPEQar
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 23, 2020
Emerson Palmieri: 5/10
Given a rare chance to impress, Emerson produced a performance that showed just why he will soon be the third-choice left-back at Chelsea if he is not out of the club before the transfer window shuts. The Italian international hardly posed a threat down the left flank while being the only Chelsea defender who did not give a good account of himself at the back. Time’s up for him.
Ross Barkley: 8/10
Barkley made a slow start to the game before growing in it as the minutes ticked by. A lively customer in the middle of the park for much of the tie, the Englishman had 102 touches, won 10 duels and misplaced just 8 passes all game. To cap off a decent performance, he even scored a goal, having received the ball from Kai Havertz. Quite an asset for Lampard as a backup.
Mateo Kovacic: 9/10
The tireless Croat produced his umpteenth industrious showing. Crucial in wresting control from Barnsley after the initial exchanges, Kovacic dominated the midfield, losing possession just 7 times. The most involved player in the game, he had 118 touches on the ball, completed each of his 16 long balls, won 10 duels and played in 1 key pass, which led to Havertz via Abraham. Simply brilliant.
Callum Hudson-Odoi: 5/10
Minutes have been hard to come by for Hudson-Odoi so far this season and his performance on Wednesday showed exactly why. One of only two Chelsea players who failed to leave their mark on the game, the youngster was often sloppy in possession, losing the ball 13 times. While he did play in 2 key passes, he could not impose himself on the game. Back to the drawing board.
Kai Havertz: 10/10
Kai Havertz’s game by numbers vs. Barnsley:
◎ 100% shot accuracy
◎ 88% pass accuracy
◉ 5 tackles made (most)
◎ 4 take-ons completed
◉ 4 shots (most)
◉ 3 goals (most, of course)
◎ 2 chances createdThe first match ball of his senior career. ? pic.twitter.com/NXjXi0F4Qr
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 23, 2020
Up until Wednesday, Havertz seemed to have made a slow start to life as a Chelsea player. That all changed against Barnsley, as he showed just what he is capable of. Showing brilliant instincts inside the box, Havertz made some top class ghosting runs before receiving the ball for his goals. Havertz also played a part in Barkley’s goal, nicking the ball off Alex Mowatt before the Englishman scored.
For each of his strikes, he showed superb chemistry with Tammy Abraham, whose dummy first took a Barnsley defender out of the game before Havertz scored his first goal. Havertz would then be set up by Abraham himself for his other two goals, as he exploited the spaces created by the English striker. The promising bit for Chelsea is he is still not in full flow at the moment.
Mason Mount: 7/10
Lampard shuffled his formation against Barnsley, which meant that Mason Mount started on the left wing on Wednesday. The young midfielder was a bit anonymous at times, as a result. However, Mount adjusted in the role quickly, found ways to get involved in the moves and set up Havertz for Chelsea’s second. Made 3 key passes and misplaced just 3 passes all game. Dependable as ever.
Tammy Abraham: 10/10
Tammy Abraham might have seen very little of the ball; he might have taken just 2 shots all game. However, if not for Abraham, Havertz was highly unlikely to score a hat-trick against Barnsley. The English striker showed brilliant movement to drag a Barnsley defender out of position, thereby carving open space for Havertz to exploit. This was key in all three goals scored by the German.
Tammy Abraham has now scored 80 senior goals for club & country:
⚽️ 26 x Aston Villa
⚽️ 26 x Bristol City
⚽️ 19 x Chelsea
⚽️ 8 x Swansea
⚽️ 1 x EnglandOff the mark for the season. pic.twitter.com/d1oV1soz56
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 23, 2020
His passes for Havertz’s second and third were top notch, while he showed great awareness for the dummy that set his teammate for his first. Abraham also showed great instincts for his goal, forcing Aapo Halme into a mistake before calmly slotting the ball past Brad Collins. A statement of intent from the striker.
SUBSTITUTES
Kurt Zouma: 6/10
On for Thiago Silva, Zouma had very little to do in the half hour he spent on the pitch. Still, was solid enough and won 1 duel while completing 27 passes. Should have Silva for company next time out.
Ben Chilwell: 7/10
Having completed his recovery from injury, Chilwell finally made his Chelsea debut. The English full-back, in the process, showed just how major an upgrade he was over Emerson, playing the cross for Olivier Giroud’s goal and hardly losing the ball in the final quarter of the game.
Olivier Giroud: 7/10
Given the last 20 minutes or so, Giroud made his mark on the game too, scoring the sixth and final goal of the game to open his account for the season with a coolly slotted diving header.
