Chelsea were brought crashing back to earth after losing 3-0 to Leeds at Elland Road. A massive mistake from Edouard Mendy gave Leeds their opening goal, and from there the Blues never really looked like getting back into the game. With the transfer window deadline getting closer and closer, the Blues desperately need reinforcements in all parts of the pitch.
Edouard Mendy- 3/10
Not for the first time, Mendy dawdling on the ball has cost Chelsea a goal. A simply poor decision not to kick the ball long when being closed down by Aaronson gifted Leeds their opening goal, who then kicked on to take the game away from Chelsea. Mendy needs to learn when to just boot the ball clear.
Reece James- 5/10
James will be disappointed not to have done better when Rodrigo headed Leeds two ahead from a simple set piece. The Englishman was beaten by the Spaniard to the ball without much fight. James was unlucky not to get one back for the Blues, when his drilled shot was brilliantly tipped wide by Meslier.
Thiago Silva- 6/10
Maybe Chelsea’s only player today who can walk off the pitch without feeling he could have done more to help his side today. Silva worked tirelessly throughout the game, but the huge gaps in midfield meant Chelsea’s back line was caught out too often, with the Brazilian not able to keep Leeds out.
Kalidou Koulibaly- 3/10
After a near-perfect debut, Koulibaly put in a performance that was almost the complete opposite. Couldn’t compete with the speed of Leeds player Aaronson, who spun him too easily to get the Sengelese defender booked early on. Chelsea’s new defender never looked comfortable and got himself sent off with a second booking for a needless and ridiculous pulling of a shirt.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek- 5/10
The 26-year-old needs to have more confidence in his ability when going forward. Too often he finds himself in a great position to either shoot or cross, and he hesitates. Today was no exception, with Mount finding him in acres of space inside the box, only for Ruben to not pull the trigger, and hold onto the ball for too long, killing the chance.
Marc Cucurella- 4/10
Another player who impressed massively on his debut, only to let himself down today. Cucurella was sloppy with the ball, poor in defence, and missed two big chances by large margins where he blasted the ball way wide of the goal.
Jorginho- 5/10
Chelsea’s midfield was carved apart far too easily for the opening 45 minutes, with the pair of Jorginho and Gallagher never looking in control of the game. The Italian found himself being beaten too often, and with Kovačić and Kante looking likely to miss the foreseeable future, there should be considerable concern for Chelsea’s midfield department.
Connor Gallagher- 4/10
Brought in for his first start in Chelsea blue, Gallagher will be hoping for better performances in the future. He started well with a good through ball to Sterling, but after that, he became erratic, and loose with the ball. Arguably being played out of position, the young blue struggled to make an impact, before being substituted after 60 minutes.
Mason Mount- 5/10
Chelsea’s entire team looked off the pace today, and that included Mount. He had an early shot that forced a good save from Meslier, but other than that the Englishman struggled to get involved in the game. A below-par performance, but not even close to Chelsea’s biggest problem today.
Kai Havertz- 4/10
Three games into the season, three games starting striker, and the German is still yet to meaningfully contribute to Chelsea’s attack. Struggled to get involved in the game from the first minute, and never looked a threat to goal. With the transfer window still open, and with both Lukaku and Werner having left, surely some sort of attacking reinforcement is needed soon.
Raheem Sterling- 5/10
How different this game could have been if Sterling had finished that chance in the opening five minutes. He blasted wide, and the rest is history. He looked lively dribbling, but apart from an offside goal, the Englishman never really threatened.
Subs
Hakim Ziyech- 4/10
Potentially the last time the Moroccan will play for the Blues, and it was a bizarre 30-minute cameo to end. Ziyech looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but on the pitch. Every time he found himself with the ball it seemed he would just aimlessly kick it and hope there’d be a Chelsea player at the end of it. A passing accuracy of under 70% (the lowest of any Chelsea player on the pitch) highlighted the issue.
Christian Pulisic- 5/10
It wasn’t entirely clear where Pulisic was meant to be playing when he came on the pitch, often popping up in central midfield to pick up the ball. The American posed little threat, but he will feel he deserves a chance to start on the wing in Chelsea’s next game, given the current attackers in the side are yet to score a single goal this season
Ben Chilwell- N/A
César Azpilicueta- N/A
Thomas Tuchel- 4/10
Injury problems in midfield are a big concern for the Blues, but what was Tuchel’s plan with Gallagher and Jorginho playing in a pivot in midfield? A big error from the manager, which he further compounded later in the game when Jorginho was brought off leaving Loftus-Cheek to play as a makeshift DM, completely killing Chelsea’s control that they had at the start of the second half. A disappointing day for the German, who only a week ago outcoached a much superior manager than Jesse Marsch in Antonio Conte.
Twitter- @Kieranroy1
