Chelsea made a long journey to West Yorkshire to take on Huddersfield Town at the John Smith’s Stadium earlier today. The Pensioners began the match on the front foot and took the lead early on through N’Golo Kante’s scuffed shot. The new Chelsea signing Jorginho doubled the lead for the away side after they were awarded a penalty just before half-time.
The Terriers tried to respond in the second half but ended up conceding another goal when Pedro scored with a smart finish in the 80th minute. The match ended 3-0 in favour of the West London side, in what proved to be a winning start for Maurizio Sarri’s management career in English football.
Let’s take a look at how each Chelsea player fared during the contest against the Terriers.
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6/10
His distribution missed the mark quite often, but he did his job and made a few saves to earn a clean sheet for the Blues.
RB: César Azpilicueta – 8/10
The Spaniard was superb down the right flank and linked up well with Pedro going forward. He also defended well to secure a shut-out on the day.
CB: Antonio Rüdiger – 7/10
He was a commanding presence at the heart of the Chelsea defence and did not give the Huddersfield attackers even a sniff at goal.
CB: David Luiz – 7/10
The Brazilian defensive ace coped with most of the Terriers attacks well but got a harsh yellow card to show for his efforts.
LB: Marcos Alonso – 8/10
The Spanish full-back earned a penalty which Jorginho converted from the spot. He looked sharp going forward and was unlucky not to score during the contest.
CM: N’Golo Kanté – 8.5/10
The Frenchman scored the opener with a scuffed volley and gave Chelsea an excellent platform to go on and snatch the victory. He was at his usual best, working hard while stopping some of the Huddersfield attacks from midfield.
CM: Jorginho – 7.5/10
The Chelsea new boy kept his composure and scored from the spot. He also distributed the ball well and looked like a class act on the day.
CM: Ross Barkley – 6.5/10
He tried his best to make himself useful in the opposition half and had his moments in the first half. However, his impact on the game faded as the match progressed and was subbed off in the 65th minute.
RM: Pedro – 8/10
The Spaniard scored the Pensioners’ third goal with a beautiful finish. He also worked tirelessly for Sarri’s team and was an ideal outlet down the right flank.
ST: Álvaro Morata – 5/10
Another mediocre showing from the Spanish forward. He had just one attempt at goal which was deflected off target. Simply not good enough.
LM: Willian – 7/10
The Brazilian was quite effective and linked up well with his teammates in the final third. He played his part while setting up Kante’s opening goal and got an assist to start off his campaign.
Substitutes
CM: Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 6/10
The English talent retained the ball well and played his part to help Chelsea see out the game.
LM: Eden Hazard – 7.5/10
The Belgian came off the bench to make a real impact in the game. He got an assist for Pedro’s goal which secured the points for Chelsea.
RM: Victor Moses – N/A
He did not have enough time to make an impact.
