As an exhilarating contest came to an end, Chelsea will be mostly disappointed that they could not see out the match in which they were up by two goals inside 37 minutes and somewhat relieved that the incredible AS Roma comeback only earned the Italian side a single point.
The Best & Worst Chelsea Players Rated Out Of 10 In Their Draw Vs AS Roma
Thibaut Courtois: 7.5
Could do little about the goals he conceded. The first strike from Kolarov took a wicked deflection on its way in. As for the second one, the Belgian did not even have the time to react before the ball rocketed past his face. The third goal saw Edin Dzeko left unmarked in the box to power in a bullet header from the six-yard box. Made a few saves from Diego Perotti’s tame shots and a crucial save with his foot to keep Radja Nainggolan out. Also stuck out an important leg to divert Aleksandar Kolarov’s driving ball away from the dangerous Dzeko.
Davide Zappacosta: 5.5
Provided many balls into the box in attack but his limited one-dimensional game was never a goal threat for Roma. Defensively was poor and could have done more to keep Diego Perotti away from driving in every time.
Cesar Azpilicueta: 5.5
A performance well below the usual standards of the Spaniard. Was far too easily beaten by Kolarov for Roma’s first goal. Looked better and more determined once shifted out to the position of right wing-back.
Andreas Christensen: 5.5
The youngster could have done more in keeping Dzeko out but given the Bosnian’s incredible form, Christensen did well to keep up with his man on several occasions. One might argue he could have stuck on to his man tighter for Roma’s second goal but he could have done little to prevent that finish.
Gary Cahill: 5
Another poor performance from the Captain. Should have read the Dzeko threat better and helped out his defence more. Had a tough time distributing the ball given Roma’s high pressing game. Was at fault for Roma’s third goal when he lost Dzeko in the box.
Marcos Alonso: 5.5
A quiet performance from the Spaniard. Was helped greatly by David Luiz every time Nainggolan got too close to him.
David Luiz: 7.5
Looked a real live-wire for Chelsea until he was withdrawn. Scored a beautiful curler to put Chelsea in the lead. The only Chelsea player who looked easy when pushed into physical confrontations with the swashbuckling Roma team.
Cesc Fabregas: 5.5
A subdued performance, he could not keep up with the physical task of battling the Roma players and the fact that Chelsea kept less than 40% off the ball meant that Fabregas’ effect on the match was minimized.
Tiemoue Bakayoko: 6
An improved performance after the poor display against Crystal Palace but still has a lot to do to become a ball-playing midfielder. Was constantly caught out of position but made a few good recovery tackles to keep the pressure on Roma. Greatly subdued as the match progressed.
Alvaro Morata: 7
A much-needed boost for the Blues as he showed exactly what Batshuayi is missing from his game. In a match dominated by Roma, the crucial ability to hold off balls and get his team into the game coupled with the intelligence to take up spaces in a shaky Roma defence means that Chelsea will be hoping their star striker can stay fit for the rest of the season.
Eden Hazard: 9
A great display from the Belgian capped off with two well-timed goals. Playing on the counter, Hazard’s turn of pace and ability to dribble past players saw Hazard being a constant threat to the Roma defence. Took two opportunistic goals to earn Chelsea a point.
Substitutes
Pedro: 6.5
Came on and did exactly what Antonio Conte asked off him. Ran around and put pressure on Roma’s defence line to earn Chelsea some rest at the back.
Willian: 4
Came on to replace Hazard. Looks more and more disgruntled and ineffective with every passing match.
Antonio Rudiger: 5
The former Roma man came on to add more steel to deal with the threat of Dzeko. Had a decent chance to score the winner but his header was way off target.
