Full Time: Huddersfield 1-3 Chelsea
Chelsea dominated Huddersfield Town on every level as they registered a 3-1 win to go level with second-placed Manchester United in the points table. Youngster Ethan Ampadu made his debut in the Premier League and although he did not get much time on the field, it will be an encouraging sign for Antonio Conte since he is likely to need all hands on deck as the days go by.
The defending champions played an impressive game last night and here is a look at how each player fared against the Terriers.
Chelsea Player Ratings
Thibaut Courtois – 7/10
Courtois made a number of decent saves – the best of which was when he denied Tom Ince. However, he failed to keep out Laurent Depoitre’s effort but it did not really affect Chelsea.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 8/10
He was solid overall and was involved in the creation of the second goal. He used the ball very intelligently to keep Huddersfield attackers at bay.
Andreas Christensen – 7.5/10
Although he was shaky against West Ham, Christensen put in a defensively stable performance last night and also maintained a healthy rate of possession.
Antonio Rudiger – 7/10
Besides being composed and effective at the back, Rudiger also chipped in with attacking passes to Victor Moses now and then.
Victor Moses – 7/10
It was a reassuring performance from Moses, where he was solid and did his duty even though he did not do anything spectacular. He did play a crucial role in the opening goal.
Marcos Alonso – 8/10
Alonso continued to display his brilliance by being involved in the second and third goals while not neglecting his defensive work.
Tiemoue Bakayoko – 7.5/10
Bakayoko rallied himself to his lethal self after a lacklustre display against the Hammers. There are areas that he still needs to improve but that goal was a treat to watch.
N’Golo Kante – 8.5/10
Kante took most of the responsibility in the middle to allow Bakayoko to surge ahead. His tackles were impressive and necessary, and Kante was a player who gave it his all throughout the game.
Pedro – 8/10
Pedro was lethal up front from the first whistle until the final one and he scored a goal as well. The player may have scored but he still needs to work on his finishing.
Willian – 9/10
In a match where almost every Chelsea player deserves to get a rating above 7, Willian outclassed them all. He worked well with Eden Hazard and even provided an assist as well as a goal. His link-up play was excellent and he should feature more for the Blues.
Eden Hazard – 8/10
Deployed as a false 9, Hazard worked relentlessly but failed to get his name on the scoresheet. However, his contribution remains unparalleled and it was his backheel flick that led to the first goal.
Subs:
Michy Batshuayi – 5/10
Batshuayi ran a lot but he failed to make any sort of impact.
Danny Drinkwater – 6/10
Drinkwater maintained fluidity in the middle of the park and kept things going.
Ethan Ampadu – 6/10
Arguably, Ampadu came on too late but he still looked quite confident and his overall demeanour on the field seemed encouraging.