EPL 2016/17: Chelsea 3-1 Arsenal, Player Ratings
Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge looks all but finished after today’s game at Stamford Bridge, as they lost in typical Arsenal fashion to table toppers, Chelsea. The victory ensures a 12 point gap between the two teams.
Chesea held the initiative from the start as Marcos Alonso earned them a goal in the 13th minute, capitalising on a ball that came off the Arsenal crossbar following a Petr Cech save, to score past the challenging Hector Bellerin. There were calls for a foul that referee Martin Atkinson waved away, while Bellerin had to be substituted off the pitch following the incident.
Hazard lit up the game in the second half with a brilliant goal that left commentators in a tizzy, while substitute Cesc Fabregas scored into an empty net in the 85th minute following a haphazard mistake by Petr Cech. Giroud scored a consolation goal in stoppage time.
Chelsea
Thibaut Courtois: 6/10
Courtois could’ve done much better with Giroud’s late consolation goal, letting the ball through his hands late on in the game. This lone mistake mars an otherwise solid performance in goal by the Belgian, who made solid stops off efforts from Gabriel in the first half and Walcott later on
Cesar Azpilicueta: 7/10
The Spaniard has adjusted to life to the centre-back role as easily as he earlier did to the left-back role a couple of years back. Azpilicueta did considerable covering on Chelsea’s right whenever Moses was caught a fair distance upfield.
Gary Cahill: 7/10
Cahill was much better in this game than in the return leg, making no mistake and keeping things tight all along at the back.
David Luiz: 6/10
Luiz handed substitute Gabriel a chance, letting him go for a free header that Paulista headed straight at Courtois. Luiz improved in the second half and made no further mistakes.
Marcos Alonso: 8/10
Alonso was one-half of Chelsea’s efficient left side on the afternoon as he stole onto the loose ball that got him Chelsea’s first goal early in the first half. He kept at it for the rest of the game in the same vein, albeit with lesser success against Gabriel.
Nemanja Matic: 7/10
He performed a slam-bang job on the Arsenal attacking midfield, not allowing any space on the left to Ozil to create passing lanes with Sanchez in strike or Walcott on the wing. Matic completed 50 passes, the highest number for any Chelsea player.
N’Golo Kante: 7/10
Kante matched his midfield partner almost toe-to-toe, patrolling the Chelsea half with a command befitting many critics’ Player of the Season from Leicester’s campaign last year. He completed 43 passes himself.
Victor Moses: 8/10
The Nigerian was a menace down Chelsea’s right for the entire course of the match, making full use of his considerable strength and pace in attack and was a viable outlet all through the game. He was also a lively presence in defence, deflecting many a cross from Monreal.
Eden Hazard: 9/10
Hazard produced the moment of the game, beating 3 Arsenal players en route a shot that left Petr Cech with no chance in the Arsenal goal. Other than the goal, Hazard was a constant thorn in Arsenal’s flesh and is our pick for the man of the match today.
Diego Costa: 6/10
Costa imposed his presence on the Arsenal defence, using his touch and strength to proper effect in a number of plays throughout the game. He came a cropper in front of goal, however, taking only 3 rather harmless shots.
Pedro: 6/10
Apart from setting up the play leading to Alonso’s goal, Pedro was not at his best throughout the game. He let a couple of routine crossing opportunities go waste, and his passing was below par on occasion.
Substitutes
Cesc Fabregas: 7/10
Fabregas took full advantage of Cech’s misdemeanours to bag a goal from an open net despite coming on only in the 84th minute. His goal earns him a rating of 7.
Willian: N/A
Came late on in the game and didn’t have a significant impact to be rated.
Kurt Zouma: N/A
Came late on in the game and didn’t have a significant impact to be rated.
Arsenal
Petr Cech: 4/10
The typically reliable Cech was at the heart of a horrendous concession by Arsenal this evening, as it was his missed pass that Fabregas pounced upon to make the score 3-0. Cech could also have done better with the first goal as he was left flat-footed, though there wasn't much that he could’ve done about Hazard’s second
Hector Bellerin: N/A
The Spanish right-back endured a tough 13 minutes in the office, as he was constantly called to attention by the excellent Marcos Alonso and Eden Hazard, who were both in imperious form right from the start of the game. He came off injured because of Alonso’s goalscoring action, in which his forearm knocked Bellerin out cold.
Shkodran Mustafi: 5/10
The German earned himself a booking in the first half, and was caught out of position on a couple of other occasions in an outing that he will not be remembering fondly.
Laurent Koscielny: 7/10
Although he was well beaten by Eden Hazard for Chelsea’s second, Koscielny did much of the marking on Diego Costa that led to the Spanish striker’s his restricted role in the game. “Bosscielny” has had better days in the office, however.
Nacho Monreal: 7/10
Like the rest of his colleagues in defence, Monreal also had a tough time dealing with Moses and Pedro, but he was Arsenal’s most consistent defender. His energy levels did not wane through the game and he also kept much of Moses’ running down the channels in check. He also bagged the assist for Giroud’s goal.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: 5/10
Thrown on in the central midfield role that he rarely occupies, Chamberlain struggled to get going against Chelsea’s midfield pressing and was found wanting on a number of occasions in the game.
Francis Coquelin: 4/10
He was taken for the proverbial ride by Hazard as he stumbled all over the place without being able to put in a proper challenge in the play leading to Hazard’s goal. Coquelin was distinctly out of form on the day and earns the lowest rating for any Arsenal outfield player.
Mesut Ozil: 6/10
Ozil did not create much by way of chances for Arsenal, though he did notch up the Arsenal midfield’s highest passing figures with 63 passes (3rd in the side after Mustafi and Monreal). Ozil took only shot, saved by Courtois at the near post late on in the first half.
Theo Walcott: 4/10
The speedster had a wretched outing, failing to create any meaningful impact beyond a few minutes into the second half. Walcott’s error left Marcos Alonso unmarked in the runup to Chelsea’s first goal.
Alex Iwobi: 5/10
Iwobi’s direct running and physicality were not of much use against Chelsea’s well-drilled defence this afternoon, and he was unable to create much by way of chances barring an early effort which deflected wide of Courtois’ goal.
Alexis Sanchez: 5/10
Sanchez was left thoroughly isolated for most of the game, and he moved to the left flank on a number of occasions in the game to try and influence proceedings, often to no avail. This result should leave him wondering if Arsenal is the right club for him.
Substitutes
Gabriel: 6/10
The Brazilian had, what turned out to be Arsenal’s best chance of the first half, but his unmarked header went straight into Courtois’s hands. Gabriel was left exposed on a couple of occasions due to insufficient support from Walcott as well.
Olivier Giroud: 7/10
Giroud has been a ‘Super Sub’ for a long while now, and while his late goal did not affect the outcome, it does earn him a 7 rating based on the 25 minutes he spent on the pitch after coming on for Coquelin.
Danny Welbeck: 6/10
Welbeck came on for Walcott on the right wing and created a few openings of his own, as well as a shot well-saved by Courtois. But in the absence of chances on the break, Welbeck’s speed and guile was not of much use on the day.