Chelsea ratings as Pedro steps up to show the Blues what they've been missing

Aditya Devavrat 18:08 02/12/2018
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Pedro led the way for Chelsea.

    Chelsea bounced back from last week’s horror show against Tottenham, when they lost 3-1, to beat Fulham in the first of Sunday’s Premier League derbies.

    Pedro and Ruben Loftus-Cheek got the goals in a comfortable 2-0 win.

    Here’s a look at how the players rated.

    STARTING XI

    Kepa Arrizabalaga 7 – Made some crucial saves when the score was still 1-0, quelling any hope of a Fulham comeback.

    Cesar Azpilicueta 8 – Chelsea’s captain made sure the team responded to last week’s setback, setting the tone with some crunching tackles and a composed display all around.

    Antonio Rudiger 7 – Dealt well with the threat of the in-form Aleksandr Mitrovic, relishing the physical battle with the Fulham striker.

    David Luiz 5 – Played a few trademark long passes, but still seemed to be shaking off the effects of last week’s nightmare display. Shaky in defence again and gave away possession too easily on occasion.

    Marcos Alonso 5 – Not Alonso’s best display, as he looked slightly short of the pace and failed to provide his usual attacking impact.

    N’Golo Kante 8 – Perhaps Kante’s best display of the season. Set up Pedro for Chelsea’s opener and did a much better job in his new position than he has so far this season.

    Jorginho 6 – Well-marshalled yet again by the opposition, as is becoming the norm for the Blues.

    Mateo Kovacic 7 – A big improvement on his listless performance against Spurs, as Kovacic helped Chelsesa control the game in midfield. A first-half knock saw him substituted soon after the break.

    Pedro 8 – Restored to the starting XI, Pedro responded with a good goal to get Chelsea off and running, and built on that start with an all-action display.

    Olivier Giroud 6 – Though Giroud’s own display was anonymous, his impact could still be felt. It was clear again how much Eden Hazard enjoys playing with a striker who commands as much attention as Giroud.

    Eden Hazard 7 – A much more purposeful and energetic performance after he failed to make an impact last week. Got the assist for Chelsea’s second with a clever, well-timed pass.

    SUBSTITUTES

    Ruben Loftus-Cheek 8 – Looked lively as soon as he came on for Kovacic, and his goal was just reward for his cameo.

    Alvaro Morata 5 – Missed an absolute sitter that could have wrapped up the points a little earlier, another forgettable moment in his Chelsea career.

    Davide Zappacosta N/A – Had little to do after replacing Alonso with just over 10 minutes left to go.

    Recommended