Chelsea clashed heads with Brighton and Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge earlier tonight looking to leapfrog Manchester United into the 5th place with a win. The Pensioners began the match on the offensive and took the lead in the 38th minute courtesy of Olivier Giroud’s goal.
The home side grabbed another goal in the 59th minute through Eden Hazard’s world-class finish. Maurizio Sarri’s men made the points secure just three minutes later via Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s curling effort. The match ended with the final scoreline of 3-0 in Chelsea’s favour.
Let’s take a look at how each Chelsea player performed during the game against the Seagulls.
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6/10
The Spanish keeper hardly had anything to do in the game and kept a comfortable clean sheet at the back for the Pensioners.
RB: César Azpilicueta – 6/10
The Chelsea full-back found it challenging to make an impact in the opposition half but tried his best to link up with Hudson-Odoi down the right wing.
CB: Andreas Christensen – 6.5/10
He did enough defensively to keep the Brighton attackers at bay on his way to securing an easy shut-out for the home team.
CB: David Luiz – 7.5/10
The Brazilian centre-back commanded his own box well and played some brilliant passes during the game.
LB: Emerson Palmieri dos Santos – 6.5/10
He performed much better than how Marcos Alonso has fared in recent weeks. Emerson looked assured in defence and was a good outlet for Chelsea down the left flank.
CM: N’Golo Kanté – 6/10
The Frenchman was full of energy and running in midfield but lacked the cutting edge in the final third.
CM: Jorginho – 7/10
He played some delightful through balls to create some glorious opportunities during the game. When Jorginho plays well, the Pensioners tend to win, and it was once again the case tonight.
CM: Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 8/10
The England international set-up Hazard with a quick pass in the lead up to Chelsea’s second goal before getting his name on the scoresheet himself just three minutes later via a breath-taking curling effort.
RM: Callum Hudson-Odoi – 8/10
The Chelsea youngster set-up Giroud with a good cross in the first half and looked a constant threat for the Brighton defenders. He was always willing to take his marker on and create chances for his teammates from the wide areas.
ST: Olivier Giroud – 7/10
The French centre-forward opened the goal-scoring for the home side in the first half. He worked hard for his team and justified the faith of his manager by putting in a solid performance tonight.
LM: Eden Hazard – 9/10
The Belgian winger was Sarri’s most potent weapon going forward. He wreaked havoc in the opposition half and got a goal and an assist to show for his efforts.
Substitutes:
RB: Davide Zappacosta – 5/10
He came on but was not able to make a significant impact on the game.
CM: Mateo Kovacic – 5/10
The Croatia international put in a flat display after coming off the bench.
RM: Willian – N/A
The Brazilian playmaker hardly had any time to influence the game.
