Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United: Player Ratings

Chelsea secured all three points in what was their most important fixture of the season so far, against a Manchester United team that looks devoid of confidence at the moment. The Blues were well worth the win, putting in a superb, spirited performance, and were the dominant side throughout. Alvaro Morata provided the decisive goal with a superb header in the second half to end his long wait for a goal.

The win takes Chelsea within a single point of United, who have now fallen eight points behind Manchester City. Here are the player ratings from Chelsea’s 1-0 win at the Bridge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hi3ml0Sg9c

CHELSEA 

Starting XI:

Thibaut Courtois – 8
Magnificent save in the dying embers of the game. United would have found the equalizer if it hadn’t been for that stop. Otherwise, hardly anything to do at all thanks to Lukaku continuing his poor form, although he did have to be alert to keep out his Belgian team-mate early in the first half.

Cesar Azpilicueta – 7.5
Superb. Ran up and down the field, always looking to create an opening and continued to display his superb understanding with fellow Spaniard Morata, supplying the cross for the goal that proved to be the winner.

Andreas Christensen – 8
Couldn’t have justified his selection ahead of David Luiz any better. Superb all evening, not allowing Lukaku or Rashford even the slightest inch of space to create something. Magnificent display and he will look to keep his place in the side now.

Gary Cahill – 7.5
Rock solid and untroubled all afternoon. Composed when challenged, but that rarely ever happened. Rumoured to be dropped for this game, but proved his doubters wrong with a mature performance.

Davide Zappacosta – 7.5
Great evening for the 25-year-old Italian. Never afraid to take on Valencia and offered a good outlet going forward while staying true to his defensive duties. Substituted, but will be happy with his display.

Tiemoue Bakayoko – 6
Had his shooting boots on today, but not as effective as the rest of his team-mates. Constantly took aim but was always off target or too weak to trouble De Gea.

N’Golo Kante – 8
His importance to Conte’s side is indescribable, and he showed everyone why with this performance. As usual, he covered every blade of grass and his solidity rendered Matic ineffective. Chelsea unquestionably missed his presence at the heart of midfield, and he returned with some style. Brilliant display.

Cesc Fabregas – 8
Always questioning the opposition defense, and kept United’s defenders on their toes throughout. Constantly looking to create something and slice through the back three with a pass. Superb performance.

Marcos Alonso – 7.5
Lucky to get away without a booking, but Alonso will be pleased with his shift on the night. Like Zappacosta, he offered a good outlet in attack while never getting caught out of position. Solid.

Eden Hazard – 8.5
A constant menace to United’s defense. Always running at players, always looking to burst through, and never shied away from a tackle either. The way he troubled Mourinho’s side was evident, as he was the target of several kick-outs from a number of United players.

Alvaro Morata – 9
Magnificent display. Going into the game, he had not found the back of the net for just over six hours, and what a way to get back amongst the goals with a crucial winner in a crucial game. Bailly, Smalling and Jones had an absolute handful with the Spaniard, and he really should have scored another, but lost his footing at the decisive moment late in the game. Incredible performance though, and it will do his confidence a world of good. Man of the match by a long shot.

Substitutes:

Antonio Rudiger – 6.5
Came on to add more defensive mettle and did just that, helping his side survive the late onslaught from the men in red.

Danny Drinkwater – 6.5
Impressive cameo from the bench, applying pressure and slowing down United’s play when they really needed to get the ball moving as fast as possible. The late appearance also meant a reunion with Kante for the first time since their marvelous title triumph with Leicester City in 2015.

Willian – 6
Came on late, and almost helped put the game to bed with a late counter attack burst.

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MANCHESTER UNITED

Starting XI:

David De Gea – 6.5
Kept very busy all game, but his judgement and reflexes were solid when called upon. Could do nothing about Morata’s header though. Had more touches than Lukaku and Mkhitaryan, which says it all really.

Eric Bailly – 6
Often way out of position, but kept out Chelsea as much as he could. Not his best display.

Phil Jones – 6.5
The one United player who looked composed, and the moment he went off, the rest of the side were all over the place. At the same time, was caught terribly out of position for the goal, choosing to track Azpilicueta instead of staying in the box to keep out Morata. Untouchable part of this Mourinho side at the moment, but his booking meant he had to be taken off.

Chris Smalling – 6
Made the terrible choice of running after Bakayoko, which left Morata in acres of space, but wasn’t really helped by Jones’s positional indiscipline. Occasional good tackle, but a very uneasy presence at the back.

Antonio Valencia – 5.5
Given the captain’s armband, but surprisingly well below par. Made absolutely no attempt to go on one of those trademark lung-busting runs. Poor.

Ander Herrera – 6
Too many sideways passes. Ineffective going forward. Shadow of the player we saw last season. Booked.

Nemanja Matic – 5
Uncharacteristic performance from the Serbian. Too slow and too sloppy in possession, and it did not help United one bit. Not a happy return to his former stomping ground.

Ashley Young – 5.5
Started well, but faded out halfway through and never really found a way back.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 3

How on earth is he starting games in this kind of form? Absolutely no effect whatsoever. There was never a point in this game where he looked like he would make a difference. It continues his shocking form of late, and adds to yet another terrible performance against a top Premier League side.

Romelu Lukaku – 4
Had a few touches at the start along with a shot, and that’s all he did all game. Absolutely woeful on the ball, with the first touch of a Sunday League football player. Stamford Bridge seems to be a cursed ground for him, and he was invisible on his return to his old club.

Marcus Rashford – 6.5
Tried, but never looked like breaking through. His side’s most attacking player without a doubt, but it just wasn’t his day. Poor delivery on corners but a late free-kick could have been more important had it not taken a deflection.

Substitutes: 

Anthony Martial – 6
Came on to make a difference and United did play more attacking when he was on the pitch, but he just couldn’t provide the goal his side needed to equalize.

Marouane Fellaini – 6
Came on for Phil Jones but started off horribly, adding more confusion and uneasiness to his side instead of the stability he was supposed to bring. Did look most likely to make the difference in the dying minutes of the game, as his side reverted to the old tactic of lumping the ball up to him at every opportunity.

Jesse Lingard – 5
Too late to have an impact. Was brought on to add more pace and energy but could not do so.

 

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