Chelsea Player Ratings V Manchester City: One Player Gets 9/10, Three Get 8/10 But Three Others Only Get 5
Chelsea and Manchester City played out arguably the most entertaining game of the season at Stamford Bridge on Sunday evening.
The Blues seem to reserve their best performances for the bigger teams and that proved to be the case as they put in a valiant display against the Premier League champions.
On another day, Mauricio Pochettino’s side could well have grabbed the three points, but they can take heart from securing a draw.
Press the next page as we rate the performance of every Chelsea player.
GK – Robert Sanchez – 8/10
It may be odd to give such a high rating to a keeper when he conceded 4 goals but the Spaniard wasn’t at fault for any of them.
Sanchez could arguably have done more for City’s third as the ball was crossed into the box, but that would be harsh.
The 25-year-old made one outstanding save to keep Erling Haaland from scoring in the first half and he was a safe pair of hands throughout.
Sanchez’s kicking wasn’t particularly accurate but he was clearly instructed to kick the ball long by Pochettino to avoid any unnecessary mistakes.
RB – Reece James – 7/10
The captain put in a much-improved performance against City after looking a bit rusty in the win over Tottenham.
James got an assist for his great cross to Raheem Sterling, with the winger only needing to tap the ball in.
Jeremy Doku did cause some problems for James but, all in all, he coped well with the Belgian who had five goal involvements in his last match versus Bournemouth.
With James still making his way back to full fitness, he was replaced just after the hour mark by Malo Gusto.
CB – Axel Disasi – 6/10
The Frenchman would be disappointed with losing Erling Haaland for City’s third goal.
Disasi had a very good game other than that one solitary error but, at this level, you only need one lapse of concentration and you will be punished.
The 25-year-old has probably never come up against a team as difficult to defend against as City so he should use it as a learning experience.
For the time being, it appears Disasi is Pochettino’s favoured centre-back partner for Thiago Silva.
CB – Thiago Silva – 6/10
It was an up-and-down evening for the 39-year-old, who was involved in goals at both ends of the pitch.
Silva got the ball rolling for the home side with the first equaliser, with an expertly placed near-post header from a corner.
However, for someone of his experience, he probably regrets sticking his boot out that deflected Rodri’s shot past Sanchez into his own net.
Other than that, Silva did his very best defensively despite being left rather exposed by his midfield.
LB – Marc Cucurella – 5/10
Some will say that the penalty was harsh but the fullback needed to do better defensively in that situation.
Cucurella got caught the wrong side after being outmuscled by Haaland, and by trying to make up for his mistake, he brought the striker down.
Perhaps with another referee, he would have gotten away with it but, once it was given, it was never going to be overturned by VAR.
With the exception of the penalty, Cucurella did his best to keep Phil Foden quiet.
CM – Moises Caicedo – 5/10
The Ecuadorian was pulled out of position and couldn’t track back quick enough for City’s third goal.
Caicedo is supposed to be Chelsea’s deepest-lying midfielder but he clearly has been instructed to press high with the rest of his teammates.
However, it means when City got past him, there were huge spaces for the away side to exploit, and the Blues’ defence was exposed.
You do feel that Pochettino needs to find a better balance in midfield so his team are not as susceptible to counter-attacks.
CM – Enzo Fernandez – 5/10
As always with the Argentinian international, he delivered some great forward passes, particularly early on in the match.
However, just like the Spurs game, Fernandez was caught in possession on a number of occasions which helped City set up some dangerous counter-attacks.
When the 22-year-old plays deeper, he needs to realise that he will have less time on the ball.
It was not a surprise when Fernandez was taken off with 25 minutes left to go.
AM – Conor Gallagher – 8/10
The 23-year-old stood up to the plate once again, both on and off the ball.
Gallagher’s pressing high up the pitch is one of the main reasons why Pochettino keeps picking him, and he was outstanding at closing down his opponents once again.
However, the England international was just as much of a threat in possession, with his long-range shot leading to Nicolas Jackson’s goal after the midfielder’s strike rebounded off Ederson.
When Christopher Nkunku returns after the international break, it will be interesting to see if Gallagher keeps his place.
RW – Cole Palmer – 9/10
Another outstanding performance from the 21-year-old who was a thorn in City’s side all evening.
Palmer played the through ball that ultimately led to Chelsea’s second goal, while his mazy solo run in the second half could easily have led to the winger scoring himself.
The ex-City player did eventually get on the scoresheet against his old club, and his composure in scoring the last-minute equaliser from the penalty spot was incredible.
Palmer is very quickly becoming one of the first names on the teamsheet.
CF – Nicolas Jackson – 6/10
The Senegalese international barely got on the ball for the first 65 minutes.
When Jackson did get involved, it led to Chelsea’s attacks breaking down, and it was looking like he would end up having a very frustrating game.
However, the striker was sharper than anyone else to pounce on the rebound when Ederson parried Conor Gallagher’s shot.
In our preview to the game, we said that Jackson had to be clinical against City, as he wouldn’t get many chances, and he was.
LW – Raheem Sterling – 8/10
The England international did look like he had something to prove on Sunday evening.
Whether it was because Sterling was facing his old team, or he wanted to show Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate what he would be missing, the winger was a man possessed.
As well as getting on the scoresheet, he set up a glorious chance for Malo Gusto and gave Kyle Walker a torrid time throughout the 90 minutes.
If Sterling keeps this sort of form up, he could have a very special season.
Substitutes
Armando Broja – 6/10 – won the penalty for the equaliser in stoppage time.
Mykhailo Mudryk – 5/10 – ran into a number of blind alleys and caused very few problems for City’s defence.
Malo Gusto – 5/10 – missed a gilt-edged chance, curling a left-footed shot from close range over the bar when it was 3-3.
Lesley Ugochukwu – N/A