Chelsea returned from their humiliating 3-0 defeat at Rome to an even more crucial Premier League tie against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues held a record of just one loss in their last 15 home games against the Red Devils before today, and the run has now been extended to 16. An Alvaro Morata header sealed the deal for the hosts on the second half, as the Blues’ defence seemed better than ever this season.
Here are our Player Ratings from the thrilling Super Sunday clash at Stamford Bridge…
Starting Eleven:
Thibaut Courtois – 9 – Denied a good shot from Lukaku on the first half. Did well catching a bunch of United crosses. Also made a huge stop on stoppage time to deny Fellaini with a world-class diving save. Cleansheet at the Bridge, YES!
Cesar Azpilicueta – 9 – MOTM – Very good game from the Spaniard. Superb cross as he has now assisted five of Morata’s seven Premier League goals. Moved over to the right wing-back’s position after Zappacosta got subbed off and Rudiger placed to the centre of the defence. Man of the match, without a doubt!
Andreas Christensen – 8 – Played with very good confidence at the back. Didn’t lose the ball despite some heavy pressure from the United attack. Unfortunately he missed a big opportunity as he directed a free header from a Fabregas corner over the bar.
Gary Cahill – 7 – Good game from the skipper. Kept Lukaku quiet throughout the whole game and was superb in the air. Almost scored a brilliant goal on the second half.
Davide Zappacosta – 6 – Made some good runs forward down on his flank. Had some times when he should’ve passed instead of going for a run, but escaped such mistakes well. Subbed off after 66 minutes for Rudiger.
Marcos Alonso – 6 – The return of Kante seemed to have affected his playing just like it did with Fabregas, as he was much more active going forward than in the few recent games. A few very dangerous crosses and an OK game at the back.
N’Golo Kante – 9 – After six games without him, the midfield dynamo’s return was crucial for the whole team. Did superbly tracking down United attacks from midfield and provided some dangerous runs to the visitors’ defensive area.
Tiemoue Bakayoko – 7 – Had a brilliant chance to open the scoring on the first half as Zappacosta’s cross fell right down to his lane, but the Frenchman was unable to shoot on target. Did good work defensively though, even took the ball away from Matic here and there.
Cesc Fabregas – 9 – Really stepping up today after a run of few bad games. Looks much more comfortable in the number ten role with Bakayoko and Kante right behind him than as a defensive midfielder next to Baka. Missed a good chance from close-range but created some superb ones for his team-mates. Unlucky not to get an assist or two.
Eden Hazard – 9 – Hazard tends to shine against United these days, especially at the Bridge, and today was no exception. Caused brilliant havoc for the United defence throughout the whole game. Went close with a neat left-footed volley from Fabregas’ pass. Was once again continously fouled by Mourinho’s men, but he kept coming back up and did his job brilliantly.
Alvaro Morata – 9 – Did brilliantly to make Jones kick the ball into his own net after ten minutes of play. The ref, however, ruled out the goal as he thought Morata was pushing the Englishman from the back eventhough it was all down to his own clumsiness. Morata was the most active from all Chelsea players today and his goal was more than deserved. Superb header, no stopping such. Had some other good chances to score as well, especially at the end when was one-on-one against De Gea but clumsily tried to take the ball to his left. Had a superb game but the few missed chances that really should have been buried cost him our Man of the Match title. Maybe next time, Alvaro!
Substitutes:
Antonio Rudiger – 7 – Came on as Chelsea’s first sub after an hour of play and did very well in the right side of the Blues’ three-man defence.
Danny Drinkwater – 7 – Reunited with Kante in midfield for the first time since the Frenchman’s last game at Leicester in 2015/16. That was also at Stamford Bridge. Good defending from the Englishman in the closing stages of the match.
Willian – 7 – Came on as Chelsea’s final sub, replacing Hazard ten minutes before the final whistle. His quick feet did well to hand Morata a clear-cut chance at the end of the game, but the Spanird was clumsy in the high-pressure chance.
Don’t forget to check out our Match Report of the match should you have missed it!
