Chelsea player ratings vs Bournemouth: Who impressed and who did not?
Chelsea brought up their fourth consecutive win in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues were held to a goalless first half by a resolute and stubborn Bournemouth defence. Marcos Alonso’s right-footed effort scraped the outside of the post just before the half-time interval.
It looked as if the Blues were going to be held to their first draw of the season but Maurizio Sarri played his trump cards just at the right moment. Pedro came off the bench and broke the deadlock at the 72nd minute to give Chelsea the lead.
Eden Hazard added a second goal, five minutes from the final whistle, to ensure Chelsea continued their perfect record.
Chelsea player ratings
Kepa Arrizabalaga (7/10)
The Spaniard did not have too much to do but looked solid with his ball-handling.
Cesar Azpilicueta (7/10)
The right-back had a good day at the office and looked composed at the back. He contributed a lot more offensively in the second half.
David Luiz (5.5/10)
The Brazilian continued his poor run of form and allowed lots of space for Callum Wilson to exploit on the counter attacks. He was ordinary with his positioning.
Antonio Rudiger (6.5/10)
The German has gradually stepped up his game and looked solid at the back. He has improved a lot on his positioning.
Marcos Alonso (8/10)
The Spanish left-back had another extraordinary game. He hit the post in the first half and created a lot of problems for Bournemouth in the second half. He set up the goal for Eden Hazard.
Jorginho (7/10)
The Italian did not get forward but played his usual role deep in the midfield. He dictated the tempo of the midfield with his flawless and elegant passing.
N’golo Kante (7.5/10)
The Frenchman excelled once again in a more advanced role in the midfield. He won the ball cleanly on most occasions and charged forward with lots of pace and energy.
Mateo Kovacic (8/10)
The new signing was arguably Chelsea’s best player in the match. He linked the play with his passing and contributed a lot to the build-up play. On the other hand, he was also good with his interceptions.
Eden Hazard (8/10)
The talisman contributed a lot to Chelsea’s attacking play with his incisive passes and subtle runs down the left. He mostly ran into traffic but got a well-deserved goal towards the end.
Willian (7/10)
The Brazilian had a decent game and made several efforts to break down a stubborn Bournemouth defence.
Alvaro Morata (6/10)
Morata struggled to move into scoring positions and failed to get his shots away.
Substitutes
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (6/10)
Came on in the second half in place of Kovacic and showed some promise with his dashing runs forward.
Pedro (7/10)
The former Barcelona man linked up with Giroud and scored his third goal of the season to break the deadlock.
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Olivier Giroud (7/10)
The Frenchman was much better than Morata and looked energetic with some good touches. He was involved in the build-up to Pedro’s goal.