Chelsea got back to winning ways after a recent run of poor form, beating Leeds 3-0. An early goal from Mason Mount gave Chelsea control, and after Dan James got sent off for a shocking tackle on Kovacic, the game became trivial for the Blues. Goals from Pulisic and Lukaku capped off a great performance. Their attention will now turn to the FA cup final against Liverpool this weekend.
Player Ratings:
Edouard Mendy- 6/10
Well, Mendy probably could’ve spent the whole game sitting down and his net wouldn’t have been challenged. Leeds, who went down to 10-men early on, hardly managed to create a chance in the game. The ones they did, failed to test Mendy, who did not have to make a save.
Trevoh Chalobah- 7/10
Back in the side after a long absence, Chalobah came back into the starting 11 with a strong performance. He made four tackles in the game, the joint highest of any player on the pitch. Chalobah showed Tuchel what he is capable of today.
Andreas Christensen- 6/10
Christensen was hardly tested defensively in the game, mostly acting as the anchor for Chelsea, pushing the ball into midfield or out wide. He did make one good challenge to stop Raphinia breaking clear, in a rare Leeds attack.
Antonio Rüdiger- 5/10
What has happened to Rüdiger? Chelsea’s only negative of the night. He looked shaky on the ball, giving it away several times and making rash challenges which luckily didn’t lead to further problems in defence. He will need to perform much better in the FA Cup final this weekend to stop the likes of Mohammed Salah.
Reece James- 8/10
Another outstanding performance from Reece James. Started the night with a brilliant chop inside to beat his man before setting up Mount’s opening goal. He could’ve had a second assist after he sent a perfect ball into Lukaku who fired his headed shot just wide. The English fullback looks better every game he plays.
Marcos Alonso- 6/10
A mixed bag from Alonso, who reportedly had a bust-up with Tuchel in the game against Wolves. He could’ve had an assist when Lukaku’s shot was blocked. He gave the ball away too many times, however, and Tuchel did not look pleased with him on the sidelines.
Jorginho- 7/10
Jorginho brings the stability to Chelsea’s midfield that they massively lack when he doesn’t play. The Italian is like a puppet master in the middle of the park completely dictating the tempo of the game, and today was a prime example of that. Leeds could not get a foothold in the match, and Jorginho played a big part in ensuring that was the case.
Mateo Kovačić- 7/10
Every Chelsea fan will be going to sleep with their fingers crossed tonight, hoping that the injury Kovačić sustained is not serious. The Croatian was on the receiving end of a shock tackle from Dan James that ended with the Leeds forward being sent off. Before being forced off 30 minutes in, Kovačić was bright, progressing attacks with some silky dribbling.
Mason Mount- 8/10
What more is there to say about Mason Mount, who brings his tally in the Premier League for this season to 11 goals and 10 assists. A stunning strike to open the scoring early in the game gave Chelsea control of the match. The assist to Pulisic for the Blues’ second was equally brilliant, with a little flick round the corner opening up the space for the American to strike home.
Romelu Lukaku- 8/10
Lukaku looks like a man reborn. He was so much more active on the pitch from minute one, creating space and moving to the wings to receive the ball if needed. He was clearly desperate for a goal with a couple of headers missing the target. He finally got that goal in the 83rd minute, keeping hold of the ball until the space opened up, before smashing it into the back of the net well.
Christian Pulisic- 7/10
A rare chance for the American to start the game after finding himself stuck on the bench for Chelsea’s last few matches. Pulisic took his chance in the starting line-up to put Chelsea 2-0 up with a fantastically curled finish into the bottom corner. He could’ve had two when he fired another long range shot which whistled past the top corner post.
Substitutes ratings for Chelsea :
Ruben Loftus-Cheek- 7/10
Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s dribbling is astonishing. When he picks the ball up and runs at defences it looks like nothing will stop him, and he showed that on multiple occasions today. His final product is something he still needs to improve, but more promising signs for a player who less than a year ago looked to be on his way out of Chelsea.
César Azpilicueta- 6/10
A late substitution to secure the game for Chelsea, Azpilicueta did a solid job. With recent poor performances, the Spaniard will be hoping for a strong end to the season before a potential move to Barcelona.
Hakim Ziyech- 6/10
Ziyech came on and got in the thick of things right from the off. He got an early assist with a ball to Lukaku, but he will be disappointed not to have had more, spurring some golden chances on the counter attack for Chelsea.
Thomas Tuchel- 8/10
Tuchel will just be grateful for the three points today. It was made easy when Leeds went down to ten men, but Chelsea still needed to get the job done and they did with comfort. What Tuchel will be most happy with is Romelu Lukaku, who looks far more like the man who lit up Serie A last season. A decision will need to be made for who will start up top between him and Havertz this weekend in the FA cup final against Liverpool.
