Mason Mount was the hero for Chelsea as they came away from Aston Villa with all three points in the bag.
Chelsea star Mason Mount was the hero on the night as his double secured a win for the Blues away at Villa Park. This is the first time that they have secured wins with consecutive clean sheets in the league since April.
Graham Potter’s side were far from dominant and were given a real fight by the Villans. However, they rode their luck at times and have now won their fifth game on the spin. This is Potter’s longest win streak in his career as a manager.
Kepa Arrizabalaga showed exactly why he continues to get the nod over Edouard Mendy with a stunning performance in goal. He made two stellar stops before half-time and was alert for anything Villa threw at him.
A poor opening 45 minutes saw Potter ring in the changes at half-time. This saw the Blues put up a better outing in the second half and largely contained Villa’s efforts to restore parity. In the end, the Blues outmanoeuvred their opponents and ended the game with all three points in the bag.
Aston Villa 0-2 Chelsea
Kepa Arrizabalaga showing why he's the world's most expensive goalkeeper with a display for the ages to deny Villa.
Graham Potter remains unbeaten as Chelsea boss.#ASTCHE pic.twitter.com/7ab6wrVykQ
— The Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) October 16, 2022
The Hard Tackle looks at how the Chelsea players fared on the night.
Kepa Arrizabalaga: 8/10
The Spanish star was at his stellar best and proved to be a reliable last line of defence. He made a triple save to deny Danny Ings, Jacob Ramsey and John McGinn in quick succession in the 21st minute. Kepa was called upon twice more in the first 45 minutes to deny McGinn and Ings from close range.
He rose to the occasion in the second half as well, denying McGinn for a third time on the night. It was one of Kepa’s finest performances in a Blue jersey.
7 – Kepa Arrizabalaga made seven saves while keeping a clean sheet against Aston Villa, his most saves without conceding in his top-flight league career. The Spaniard was expected to concede at least two goals based on the placement of the on-target shots he faced. Rejuvenated. pic.twitter.com/RPJNZeqImR
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 16, 2022
Trevoh Chalobah: 6/10
The youngster was full of purpose but struggled to keep Ollie Watkins quiet. Chalobah also did not shy away from making a tackle and appeared keen to impress.
Thiago Silva: 5/10
The veteran never quite got going in the first half as Villa piled on the pressure. However, Silva did not make any mistakes and largely held his own.
Marc Cucurella: 4/10
The Spaniard struggled to find his footing and almost put Villa in with a poor backpass. Cucurella was completely off the pace and it came as no surprise that he was substituted at half-time.
Raheem Sterling: 5/10
It was an incredibly disciplined performance from the Englishman who started as part of the midfield four. He was forced to drop back and support Chalobah as McGinn threatened to make use of the space in between them. Sterling was ready to do what the team needed and fulfilled several different roles on the night.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek: 7/10
The Cobham graduate put in another fine outing and was an assertive performer in the middle of the pitch. He largely held the midfield together in the initial stages as Villa piled on the pressure. Loftus-Cheek is increasingly making a case for his inclusion in the playing XI on a regular basis.
Mateo Kovacic: 6/10
He did the usual job of recycling possession and winning the ball back. However, the Croatian wasn’t as assertive as he usually is and blew hot and cold at times.
Ben Chilwell: 6/10
The Englishman struggled to get going in the first half but vastly improved after the break. He was awarded a yellow card in the 33rd minute for a studs-up challenge on Ramsey.
Mason Mount: 8/10
The Englishman also blew hot and cold at times but took his opportunities well on the night. He took advantage of Tyrone Mings’ header in the first half to put the visitors ahead before beating Emiliano Martinez with a freekick in the second half. Mount might not have impressed throughout but came up trumps in clutch situations.
25 – Aged 23 years and 279 days, Mason Mount is the second-youngest player to score 25 Premier League goals for Chelsea, after Eden Hazard (23 years 271 days). Established. pic.twitter.com/jATgyY3l4S
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 16, 2022
Kai Havertz: 4/10
The German showed some glimpses of magic in the first half but lacked the end product. He was taken off as Potter restructured his side at half-time.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 4/10
The Gabonese superstar was largely isolated and barely got a sniff at goal in the opening 45 minutes. He fared a little better in the second half and was taken off for Conor Gallagher in the 58th minute.
Substitutes
Kalidou Koulibaly: 6/10
He replaced the struggling Havertz at halftime and slotted into the backline with ease. He added more solidity and made Chelsea’s life a little easier. Koulibaly also picked up a yellow card for using his arm on Ramsey.
Cesar Azpilicueta: 6/10
The Chelsea veteran replaced Cucurella at the back and made an instant impression. He will in all likelihood play the next few months at right-back, a position that is now vacant thanks to Reece James’ injury.
Conor Gallagher: 6/10
He brought energy to the Chelsea midfield and made life harder for Villa. It was a much-needed substitution that added some dynamism to the Blues’ lineup.
Jorginho: 6/10
The Italian replaced Kovacic in the 65th minute and put in an assured shift. His presence was vital as Chelsea saw out the game with minimal fuss.
Armando Broja: NA
He had little time to make an impact.
