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Player ratings : Chelsea survive Villa onslaught to win 2-0 in important away win

Mason Mount continued his fine run of form with a well taken brace as Chelsea beat Aston Villa 2-0 at Villa Park. Mount opened the scoring inside the first ten minutes after pouncing on a mistake by Tyrone Mings. Kepa Arrizabalaga’s heroics in goal kept the Blues in front before Mount scored his second with a stunning free kick. Chelsea have now won all their last five games.

Kepa Arrizabalaga- 9/10

A fantastic performance worthy of a clean sheet and three points by Kepa. It was a first half of brilliance from the Spaniard, who made a brilliant double save which saw him tip a goal bound shot onto the post. Minutes later, he outdid himself, saving a point-blank header by pushing it over the bar. Unbelievable by a goalkeeper who seems to have solidified his position as starting keeper under Potter.

Trevoh Chalobah- 6/10

A slightly shaky performance in the first half, but that may well have been caused by the rest of the side looking defensively poor. Chalobah improved in the second half and helped keep another clean sheet for the Blues.

Thiago Silva- 7/10

Silva just seems a class above everyone else on the pitch every time he plays. The Brazilian is composed with everything he does. Tackling, passing, dribbling, he has it all. Such a gem for Chelsea, and another strong performance today.

Marc Cucurella- 3/10

A really poor first half for Cucurella, before Potter removed him at half-time. The Spaniard looked completely out of his depth in Chelsea’s back three, often being caught out of position or losing the ball.

Ben Chilwell- 5/10

Chilwell and Cucurella were a defensive liability in the first half and had Kepa to thank as the Blues went into the break still in front. He improved with the introduction of Koulibaly after half-time.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek- 7/10

Another strong performance by Loftus-Cheek, who surely impressed the onlooking Gareth Southgate ahead of the World Cup. Ruben played some good passes, showed good dribbling. Winning important fouls throughout the game prevented Villa from building their momentum.

Mateo Kovačić- 6/10

An up and down performance for the Croatian today. Displayed some fantastic dribbling to escape Villa’s defenders. He let himself down, however, with some poor passing at times.

Mason Mount- 9/10

A match winning performance from Mount, who is starting to find his best level of form after a poor start to the season. A brilliantly taken finish opened the scoring for the Blues, before his long range free kick secured three points. He is already clearly becoming a favourite for Potter.

Kai Havertz- 5/10

A quiet first-half for the German before his substitution at the break. Havertz struggled to have an impact going forward. He did have one nice moment when he burst through a challenge and found Sterling, who hit the bar.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang- 4/10

A disappointing game for Chelsea’s number nine. He struggled to get involved in creating chances and Chelsea’s attack looked lacklustre before his substitution in the second half.

Raheem Sterling- 4/10

Sterling’s poor form is starting to become a concern for Graham Potter. His poor finishing today was bailed out by Mount today. The England international could have had a hat trick today with better finishing. He hit the bar from a great chance, missed a relatively simple header, and blasted a shot from a good position straight at the keeper. 

Subs

César Azpilicueta- 7/10

A strong performance from Chelsea’s captain, who brought a sense of calm to Chelsea’s defence when he came onto the pitch. Brought on for Havertz, he provided a defensive stability that was sorely lacking in the first half and helped ensure Chelsea came away with three points.

Kalidou Koulibaly- 7/10

Brought in at half-time to solidify a weak defence, Koulibaly stamped his authority on the game, and shut down a left-hand side that in the first half had been wide open. He is beginning to show his world class talents in Chelsea blue.

Connor Gallagher- 6/10

Another strong performance from Gallagher, who is improving under spotter every week. Could have had an assist when he sent a brilliant cross into the box which found Sterling.

Jorginho- 7

Jorginho did well coming on and helped Chelsea gain more control in midfield.

Armando Broja- N/A

Graham Potter- 7/10

A slightly weaker performance from Chelsea today, but the important thing is the three points. Chelsea’s defence in the first half will certainly be a concern, but Potter made good substitutions to introduce Koulibaly and Azpilicueta who ultimately helped the Blues keep a clean sheet. 

Twitter- @Kieranroy1

Kind regards,

Kieran Roy

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