Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz stood out as Chelsea earned a hard-fought 3-1 win over Norwich City at Carrow Road on Thursday.
Chelsea made an electric start to the game, as Trevoh Chalobah broke the deadlock in the third minute by heading in from a Mason Mount corner. The Blues nearly doubled their advantage moments later, but Tim Krul denied Kai Havertz. However, Havertz set Mount up for the second in the 14th minute, with the Englishman producing a brilliant feint and finish to make it 2-0.
After that, Chelsea continued to dominate the proceedings but had to settle for the two-goal cushion heading into half-time. After the break, Norwich City stepped up considerably, troubling the Chelsea defence with a couple of dangerous-looking forays before winning a penalty midway through the second half when Chalobah handled the ball from a low cross.
Teemu Pukki stepped up to take the resulting spot-kick, making no error in converting it to bring Norwich back into the game. But the hosts’ resistance practically ended there, as Chelsea got a stronghold on the proceedings once again before rounding off the win in the 90th minute through Havertz, who deserved his goal for all the hard work up until that point.
After a day that had been dominated by some incredibly distracting news off the pitch, the win would have done Chelsea’s players a world of good. The result helped the west Londoners consolidate the third spot on the Premier League table, and The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Thomas Tuchel’s men.
Chelsea and Abramovich in limbo: What do the UK government sanctions mean for the club?
Edouard Mendy: 6/10
Mendy did not have much to do on Thursday, with Chelsea dominating the proceedings for the most part. The Senegalese goalkeeper did make a couple of regulation stops but did not have a chance to deny Teemu Pukki after diving the wrong way to stop the penalty.
Trevoh Chalobah: 6/10
Chalobah started the game in the best way possible, nodding in a brilliant header from Mason Mount’s delivery from a corner. He was largely solid after that, completing five clearances and five tackles. But a poor piece of decision making in the second half saw him conceding the penalty, which Pukki converted. Otherwise, Chalobah hardly put a foot wrong and continues growing in stature.
Thiago Silva: 7/10
Silva was, by far, the best defender in the game. And even though he gets the same rating as Andreas Christensen, it was the Brazilian who held the Chelsea defence together when Norwich piled on the pressure early in the second half. Silva bailed out his partners a couple of times while building up play from the back with precision. He also opened up space nicely with some brilliantly floated long passes.
Andreas Christensen: 7/10
With Tuchel resting Antonio Rudiger, Christensen was deployed in a somewhat unfamiliar left-sided central defensive role. And the Dane was largely solid on Thursday, apart from one moment when Thiago Silva bailed him out. Otherwise, Christensen contained Josh Sargent smartly and is showing no signs of having his head turned despite some recent comments by Tuchel on his future.
Cesar Azpilicueta: 7/10
Azpilicueta returned to the starting lineup after regaining match fitness, and he largely untroubled in the first half. The Chelsea captain pushed forward with purpose and even played one key pass before being taken off at half-time. Tuchel is slowly getting the Spaniard back to full sharpness.
Mateo Kovacic: 8/10
Back in the starting lineup, Kovacic produced a dominant performance, having kept a stranglehold on the proceedings for much of his stay on the pitch. The Croat misplaced just three passes all game while being a disruptive presence for Norwich in the middle of the park. Chelsea’s overall output in a game is splendid when he is this good.
Jorginho: 7/10
Thursday was another occasion when Jorginho was not in full flow. But with Mateo Kovacic in a domineering mood, the Italian international kept things simple and ensured he did not lose the ball cheaply at any point. And apart from a couple of nervy moments off the ball, the Chelsea vice-captain held his ground well.
Saul Niguez: 6/10
After an impressive performance against Burnley, Saul got another opportunity as the left wing-back on Thursday. This time around, the Spaniard endured a game of two halves, joining up in the attacking plays one after another in the opening period before being put to the test by Norwich following the break. But he came through largely unscathed and is becoming a solid option for the slot.
Mason Mount: 8/10
Mason Mount's game by numbers vs. Norwich:
89% pass accuracy
80 touches
30 passes in the final third (most)
7 touches in the opp. box
5 chances created (most)
4 shots (=most)
4 duels won
4 possessions won
1 goal
1 assistOutstanding display. ? pic.twitter.com/OAA2jPF5oD
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 10, 2022
After a few unspectacular performances, Mount was back in his element, pulling the strings higher up the pitch while linking up delightfully with Kai Havertz. It was Havertz who set him up for the second Chelsea goal, mere minutes after Mount had nearly created a chance for the German forward. Along the way, Mount also played a game-high five key passes while also putting in the hard yards off the ball.
Timo Werner: 6/10
Making his first Premier League start in nearly three months, Werner flitted in and out of the game while hardly getting decent chances coming his way. But what he did do well was stretch the Norwich defence, which enabled Havertz and Mount to run riot in Chelsea’s best moments. The German international made for a good support cast but will be keen on getting his scoring boots back on soon.
Kai Havertz: 8/10
Havertz’s solid run of form continued on Thursday, as he combined beautifully with Mount throughout the game. The German international set Mount up for the second Chelsea goal by holding the ball for that extra moment before releasing it. Tim Krul denied him a couple of times, but he got his goal late on with a top-class finish into the top corner. He is becoming a key player for Tuchel.
Kai Havertz has scored and assisted in the same game for the first time this season.
He ensures the three points returns to west London. pic.twitter.com/kxh0H07kjW
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 10, 2022
SUBSTITUTES
Ruben Loftus-Cheek: 7/10
Loftus-Cheek was a half-time substitute in place of Azpilicueta, and he essayed the right wing-back role superbly. While he did face some initial hiccups, the Englishman settled down quickly, making some nice driving runs while keeping a lid on Milot Rashica’s output.
N’Golo Kante: N/A
Introduced in place of Kovacic, Kante produced a brilliant run into the Norwich box before setting Havertz up for his late goal.
Romelu Lukaku: N/A
A late introduction, Lukaku nearly scored with his first touch but did not get a touch on the ball otherwise.
Mason mount remains the key player in Chelsea