FA Cup: Chelsea ratings as magical Olivier Giroud and Eden Hazard get 8s after beating Southampton 2-0

Jay Asser 20:08 22/04/2018
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Olivier Giroud finishes a superb goal to defeat Southampton.

    Chelsea booked their place in the FA Cup final against Manchester United with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Southampton, thanks to a pair of quality goals.

    The Blues first struck when Eden Hazard displayed perfect touch before finding a streaking Olivier Giroud, who sent multiple Southampton defenders to the ground with a creative run and finish.

    Their second came when Alvaro Morata, just minutes after coming on, headed in the back of the net after a cross from Cesar Azpilicueta.

    Here, we rate Antonio Conte‘s side.

    CHELSEA (3-4-2-1)

    Willy Caballero – Nearly was to blame for Southampton scoring in the second half with a sequence of mistakes, but fortune was on his side. 5

    Cesar Azpilicueta – His crosses weren’t hitting the mark for most of the game but his perfect delivery to Morata gave Chelsea their second. 7

    Gary Cahill – Was fairly anonymous throughout and didn’t factor in much as Chelsea’s backline was rarely threatened until the final few minutes. 6

    Antonio Rudiger – Was rarely involved in the action and barely ever in the thick of things, but there wasn’t all that much to clean up. 5

    Victor Moses – Attempted a bicycle kick in the second half that raised eyebrows, but was otherwise solid on both ends of the pitch. 6

    Emerson Palmieri – May not have been flashy, but his performance on the flank in place of Marcos Alonso was promising as he showed moments of brilliance. 6

    Cesc Fabregas – Unsurprisingly put a decent amount of pressure on the opposing defence with his pinpoint passing, but wasn’t needed to be at his best. 6

    N’Golo Kante – As usual, he was everywhere on the field and wherever Chelsea needed him to be as a force in both halves. 8

    Willian – Showed pace on the counter-attack before being taken off in a confounding substitution with around 30 minutes left. 7

    Eden Hazard – His fantastic touch and awareness to lead Giroud for Chelsea’s goal was the kind of magic you expect from a player of Hazard’s calibre. 8

    Olivier Giroud – Produced a stunning goal by showcasing quick feet, creativity and deception that would have been fitting for Lionel Messi. 8

    SUBSTITUTES

    Tiemoue Bakayoko – Didn’t really shore things up – as was seemingly the intention when being subbed on for Willian – but no major mistakes. 6

    Pedro – Showed some neat touches in his  limited time on the pitch. N/A

    Alvaro Morata – Wasn’t on the pitch long before he made his presence felt with a strong finish on a header after being set up by Azpilicueta. 7

    Recommended