Leeds United 3-0 Chelsea: Blues' Player Ratings as Thomas Tuchel's men suffer an embarrassing defeat at Elland Road | Premier League 2022-23
Chelsea were humbled 3-0 by Leeds United in the Premier League on Sunday, August 21.
The Whites made a positive start to the campaign under new manager Jesse Marsch. They defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers and drew with Southampton to take four points from a possible six. With the raucous Elland Road support behind them, Leeds were eager to put in a strong performance.
The Blues, on the other hand, won narrowly over Everton and were held to a dramatic draw against Tottenham Hotspur in their two games so far. Thomas Tuchel has made key additions to his side, which still looks short in some areas of the pitch.
He fielded a lineup featuring the likes of Conor Gallagher, Thiago Silva and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
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Chelsea made a nervy start to the game, as evident from their errors in defense and midfield. They were dispossessed far too many times near their own penalty area as Leeds United committed men forward. Kalidou Koulibaly and Thiago Silva often struggled with the agility and pace in the hosts' frontline.
Leeds were the first to score after Blues custodian Edouard Mendy made a schoolboy error. He received a back pass and tried to sell a dummy to Brenden Aaronson, who was closing down on him. Mendy was dispossessed and the Whites' forward tapped into an empty net to make it 1-0 after 33 minutes.
The hosts added a second just four minutes later from a well-worked set-piece. Jack Harrison delivered an inch-perfect cross into the danger area and Rodrigo scored with a powerful glancing header to make it 2-0.
Besides Raheem Sterling's early goal that was disallowed, Chelsea barely made inroads into Leeds' penalty area. The hosts held onto their two-goal cushion heading into half time.
Work to do in the second.
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Leeds United made a strong start to the second half and continued playing with vigor and aggression. Rodrigo and Aaronson were complimented well by Jack Harrison and Daniel James as they pressed the Blues into their own half.
The hosts added a third goal after 69 minutes as Rodrigo assisted Harrison from close-range. Chelsea's defense allowed Leeds' attackers way too much space in their box to pick out the right pass.
To make matters worse, Kalidou Koulibaly was given his marching orders late into the game for a silly foul. It means he will miss his side's next game against Leicester City.
Leeds held onto their impressive 3-0 lead, condemning Tuchel's men to their first defeat of the season. Having said that, let's take a look at how the Blues' players fared in this game.
Chelsea Player Ratings
Edouard Mendy - 5.5/10
Mendy made a decent start to the game. However, he made a terrible blunder for Leeds' first goal, allowing Brenden Aaronson to steal the ball from him and score. He did make three saves and distributed the ball with 85% accuracy, but his mistake defined Chelsea's game.
Reece James - 7/10
Reece James surprisingly started the game as a left centre-back, with Cesar Azpilicueta on the bench. He won eight of his 13 ground duels, making four tackles and three interceptions in the process. James also played three accurate long balls and one key pass, but failed to make a significant impact.
Thiago Silva - 6.5/10
Silva made a shaky start as his defensive partners struggled to contain Leeds' pacey and dynamic attack. He won eight of his 10 duels, making two interceptions and one tackle in the process. Silva also played five accurate long balls.
Kalidou Koulibaly - 5.5/10
Koulibaly made an uncharacteristically nervy start to the game, giving away cheap fouls and possession of the ball a few times. He also received a booking for a cynical tug on Brenden Aaronson's shirt. He did not seem to learn from that as he committed a similar foul to wipe out a Leeds attacker and was given his marching orders.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek - 6.5/10
Loftus-Cheek was deployed to an unnatural wing-back position, a role he excelled in during the Champions League tie against Real Madrid last season. However, he struggled against a rigid and well-organized Leeds United side.
Jorginho - 6.5/10
Jorginho was unable to keep hold of the ball and distribute it effectively as Leeds deployed a high press to thwart Chelsea's ball progression. He won six of his 12 duels, making three tackles and one interception in the process. However, he only played 21 accurate passes from 34 touches despite playing for little over an hour.
Mason Mount - 7/10
Mount made a lackluster start to the game and was not part of the majority of the proceedings as he struggled to find enough space. He passed the ball with 83% accuracy, including three crosses, two long balls and four key passes. Mount also had one shot on target and saw two other shots blocked.
Conor Gallagher - 7/10
Gallagher made his first Premier League start for Chelsea, having spent last season on loan at Crystal Palace. He won seven of his nine duels, making three tackles and three interceptions in the process. He also played two accurate long balls and was subbed off after 64 minutes.
Marc Cucurella - 7.5/10
Cucurella was active on the left flank and used his pace and technical ability well. He had 95 touches of the ball. The Spaniard played six accurate long balls and two accurate crosses. He also won four of his eight duels and attempted two shots, both off target.
Kai Havertz - 6/10
Havertz made a slow start to the game and was unable to impose himself. He had just 38 touches of the ball despite playing the entire game. He won six of his 16 duels and played one key pass.
Raheem Sterling - 6/10
Sterling scored with a lovely finish in the first half but the goal was ruled out for offside. His only other shot was an attempt off target. He played one key pass and won just one of his five duels. He was also cautioned in the first half.
Substitutes
Hakim Ziyech - 6.5/10
Ziyech came on in the second half. He played two key passes, one accurate cross and long ball, each. Ziyech also completed two successful dribbles and won two ground duels.
Christian Pulisic - 6.5/10
Pulisic was brought on to help Chelsea get back into the game in the second period. He played two accurate long balls, won two of his three duels and completed one successful dribble.
Ben Chilwell - 6.5/10
Chilwell was brought on after 77 minutes to add defensive solidity to Chelsea's ranks and put in a decent performance.
Cesar Azpilicueta - N/A
Azpilicueta was brought on for damage limitation as Koulibaly was sent off for two bookable offences. However, he played very few minutes to warrant a rating.