Danish Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen (R) vies with Brazilian Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in London on June 25, 2020. (PAUL CHILDS / POOL / AFP photo via Getty Images)
Chelsea won three massive points against Manchester City at home on Thursday, but how did each player perform in the match?
The talk around this match was dominated by Liverpool’s triumph as a result. It’s a shame because, tactically, Frank Lampard managed one of his best games of the year. Chelsea looked good around him, a complete juxtaposition of the match at Villa Park.
In the end, the 2-1 result is all that really matters as the Blues move closer to a point from Leicester City in third place and remain five points ahead of Manchester United and Wolves. One of Chelsea’s toughest games left is now behind. The Blues played well everywhere, but how did each individual perform?
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Goalkeeper): 6.5
Arrizabalaga had another solid night in goal. He made a crucial mistake in a 15-minute punt, but he immediately made up for it with a fantastic save with one hand from Fernandinho’s free header. The Blues were unable to keep a clean sheet due to Kevin De Bruyne’s sublime free kick, which it could be argued that Arrizabalaga could have done more to save. The fact of the matter is that that ball was going in independently. It is not much for Arrizabalaga to do apart from that. Overall, a decent night of Spanish.
Cesar Azpilicueta (right back): 8
Azpilicueta nodded at Reece James in the second game in a row and was a bit surprising. However, the captain did a wonderful job defensively, as usual. The consensus among Chelsea fans was that the Spaniard would rank left to right, but he blocked Raheem Sterling and limited Manchester City’s chances. Due to the high press and dominant possession statistics on Guardiola’s side, Azpilicueta rarely played a role in the attack, but was again exceptional in the rear. The 30-year-old was a big reason why Chelsea was solid as a defense.
Antonio Rudiger (central defender): 8
Rudiger followed a lackluster performance at Aston Villa with a gigantic display against Manchester City.
The mistakes? Limited. The passes? Precise. The antennas? Improved. The defense? Solid rock. The #Hustle after a major victory? Aware.
Rudiger played an important role in limiting the City’s number of opportunities, despite his overwhelming possession statistics. It seems like he’s done enough to solidify an early role in central defense, now he just needs to add consistency to his game. An incredible start against one of the best teams in Europe is one way to drive those types of performances.
Andreas Christensen (center): 9
There’s not much to say about Christensen’s performance tonight, as it can all be summed up in one word: excellent. Christensen, like Rudiger, seems to have blocked the role of central starter and who would argue with Lampard’s decision after the defensive clinic he put on City? Christensen looked comfortable at all times, both mentally and physically. He put it all on the line tonight and it was well worth it if it hadn’t been for Pulisic, Christensen would have escaped with the Man of the Match award.
Marcos Alonso (left back): 6
Alonso who starts on the left side of a back four is always going to make Blues fans a little nervous. Although the yellow card was quite soft, Alonso made some mistakes near the area and the warning was a punishment for it. A defensive display above the average for the Spanish, but still has a lot of work to do. A few mental errors almost cost Chelsea, but Alonso was rescued or compensated for his failures. Alonso was not bad, but he was far from good.
