Chelsea went head to head with Fulham at Craven Cottage earlier today looking to continue their recent resurgence under Maurizio Sarri. The Pensioners began the contest on the offensive and took the lead in the 20th minute courtesy of Gonzalo Higuain’s goal. However, the home side came up with a response just seven minutes later when Callum Chambers scored with his volley from close range.
Sarri’s men got themselves ahead once again in the 31st minute when Jorginho found the back of the net with a well-placed finish. Both teams battled hard in the second half but couldn’t add to the goal tally as the London derby finished with Chelsea running out 2-1 victors on the day.
Let’s take a look at how each Chelsea player performed during the match against the Cottagers.
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga – 7/10
It was a controversial call to pick him for today’s derby, but the Spanish keeper passed the test with flying colours. He made some terrific saves during the game to keep his team ahead in the contest and grind out a hard-fought win at Craven Cottage.
RB: César Azpilicueta – 7/10
The Spanish full-back played his part in the lead up to Chelsea’s opening goal of the encounter when he supplied the final ball which led to Higuain finishing from close range. He was defensively solid throughout the encounter and did enough to get over the line in the second half.
CB: Antonio Rüdiger – 7/10
The German defensive ace commanded his box with authority and managed to keep Aleksander Mitrovic quiet during the match.
CB: Andreas Christensen – 7/10
He kept his calm in high-pressure situations and did enough defensively to restrict Fulham to just one goal.
LB: Emerson Palmieri dos Santos – 6/10
He was mediocre at best going forward as his crosses failed to threaten the Cottagers defenders.
CM: N’Golo Kanté – 7/10
The French midfielder worked his socks off and tried his best to make an impact in the opposition half.
CM: Jorginho – 8/10
He scored the decisive second goal of the contest which ended up making the difference in the derby. It was a long-awaited man of the match display from the former Napoli talent.
CM: Ross Barkley – 6/10
The English midfielder was not able to make an impact going forward which once again puts his selection into question.
RM: Willian – 7/10
The Brazilian was quite bright and vibrant down the right flank. He was also not afraid to test the Cottagers goalkeeper after attempting two shots on target.
ST: Gonzalo Higuaín – 7.5/10
The Argentine forward came alive inside the Fulham box and took his chance well in the first half.
LM: Eden Hazard – 7.5/10
The Belgian winger was one of Sarri’s biggest weapons going forward. He set-up Jorginho with a great ball in the lead up to Chelsea’s second goal. It was another impressive display from the Pensioners talisman.
Substitutes:
CM: Mateo Kovacic – 6/10
The Croat added some fresh energy to the Chelsea midfield.
RM: Pedro – 6/10
His pace caused a few problems for the home side in the second half.
CAM: Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 5/10
The English talent didn’t have enough time to make an impact in the opposition half but still managed to cause a few problems for the Fulham defenders.
