An embarrassing defeat to Arsenal threatens to drag Chelsea back in to a battle for a top 4 finish. The Blues gave far too much respect to a team that had lost their last three games. Individual mistakes by Chelsea’s defenders ultimately cost Thomas Tuchels side today.
Edouard Mendy- 5/10
Mendy didn’t look close to making a save today, conceding three goals from three shots on target. A man who is struggling for form, his ball distribution was poor all game, and he never looked comfortable.
Reece James- 5/10
Not a great performance from the man who is usually so reliable defensively. Was not directly at fault for any of the goals, but playing in defence for a team that conceded four is never a good look. He didn’t offer much in attack either, with crosses regularly hitting defenders’ heads.
Andreas Christensen- 3/10
A shocking display from the Dane, who seems like his head is already in Spain. Inexplicably gave the ball away to Nketiah for Arsenal’s first. He was way off the pace throughout the game, being caught out of position multiple times, before being hooked at half-time for Thiago Silva.
Malang Sarr- 3/10
His first start in the Premier League since early March, Malang Sarr produced one of the worst performances from a Chelsea centre back in a long time. Was beaten countless times and practically handed Eddie Nketiah his second of the match, passing him the ball in Chelsea’s own box.
Marcos Alonso- 5/10
A poor performance from the Spaniard, who could not handle Saka at all, twice beat him in the first half. Could not offer any attacking threat either. The left side of Chelsea’s defence was all over the place all game.
César Azpilicueta- 5/10
Chelsea’s captain struggled again defensively. A woeful pass to gift Arsenal their third goal, he also gave away a penalty in the dying moments, although under somewhat questionable circumstances. A well taken goal saves his rating from being any lower.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek- 6/10
An impressive first half performance that dropped off in the second 45. The Englishman’s aggressive press won the ball back to set up Werner. His performance dropped off in the second half, as Chelsea’s midfield was cut through time and time again.
N’golo Kante – 4/10
Another disappointing performance from Chelsea’s star midfielder. His vision during the attacking phase was poor, and even defensively where he is usually so reliable Kante was struggling. A mix up at the back with Sarr for Arsenal’s third put Chelsea in real peril.
Timo Werner- 7/10
One of the shining lights in an otherwise dismal display. Werner continued his goal scoring form with a slightly fortunate, deflected strike to bring Chelsea back into the game. While his play is still a bit loose, his constant runs in behind created problems for Arsenal’s defence.
Romelu Lukaku- 5/10
Lukaku, given a chance in the starting lineup, failed to make his mark. He was quiet in the first half, struggling to get into the game. His best chance came early on which he slashed across the face of goal.
Mason Mount- 7/10
Another good performance from Chelsea’s English star. Mount delivered some incredible passes and did not deserve to be on the losing side today. His assist to Azpilicueta to level the game at 2-2 was a pinpoint cross.
Subs
Thiago Silva- 5/10
Silva came on to attempt to steady the game for the Blues at half time. Unfortunately he could not help some of the players around him, and this rubbed off on the Brazilian who did not look comfortable with Malang Sarr playing to his left. An awkward performance from the Chelsea veteran.
Kai Havertz- 6/10
The German did not have a huge amount of time to make an impact, and he struggled to get involved in the game. His energy when he came on may have raised some questions as to why he didn’t start.
Thomas Tuchel: 4/10
Not a good day for Chelsea’s head coach. While injuries to Rudiger and Kovacic may have forced his hand to a degree, starting Malang Sarr, Christensen and Lukaku massively backfired. The first two both individually culpable for two of Arsenal’s four goals.
