Chelsea continued their excellent unbeaten run this season after securing a comfortable 3-1 win over Crystal Palace. Alvaro Morata scored twice while Pedro added further gloss to the scoreline as Wilfred Zaha’s first-half strike turned out to be a mere consolation.
Chelsea moved up to second in the league table after Liverpool dropped points against Arsenal.
Here are the Chelsea players rated after their win over the Eagles.
Kepa Arrizabalaga (7/10): It was another relatively quiet game for Kepa, who was largely untroubled. His distribution was a positive aspect and as for the goal, he could have done very little to stop Andros Townsend’s well-placed effort.
Cesar Azpilicueta (6.5/10): Was hurried and hassled by the marauding Wilfred Zaha, especially in the early stages of the game. The Spaniard found it difficult to get used to the pace of the game and had a very nervy evening.
Antonio Rudiger (7.5/10): Another solid display from the German international, even though he looked quite uncomfortable in dealing with Zaha’s pace and trickery in Palace’s final third.
That being said, Rudiger played a key role in the build-up, triggering a couple of useful long balls in order to switch the play.
David Luiz (7.5/10): Looked terribly out of pace when he was caught out of position for Palace’s only goal of the evening. But, it was a minor blip in an otherwise comprehensive display from the Brazilian defender.
Marcos Alonso (8/10): Thrived on the flanks as he linked up well with his teammates in the final third while playing a key role in Chelsea’s overall ball-distribution.
Alonso also made numerous runs in behind the defence, though his final product was questionable. A sizzling cross to set-up Pedro for the third goal will remain as the highlight of Alonso’s performance against Crystal Palace.
N’Golo Kante (7/10): Had a slow start to the game, misplacing a few passes but cleverly utilised his pace and tenacity to break up Crystal Palace’s rhythm. However, fans will certainly expect better output from the French midfielder.
Jorginho (7.5/10): Orchestrated the play and helped Chelsea keep control of the midfield through some pin-point passing. Even though he was tightly marked by Townsend, the Italian still managed to string together 102 passes with an astonishing accuracy of 95% – more by anyone else on the pitch.
Ross Barkley (6/10): Following a promising display against Burnley last weekend, Barkley failed to impress against Palace. He failed to provide the creative spark in the final third and was ineffective in attack. His decision-making was also questionable as he rightfully made way for Mateo Kovacic in the second half.
Pedro (7.5/10): Made full use of his rare start as he flourished on the right-hand side, largely thanks to his hard-working mentality. He made a few useful runs out wide and also did well to finish his chance late in the game after a low cross from Marcos Alonso fell straight into his path.
Alvaro Morata (9/10): By far the most impressive player on the pitch, Morata managed to continue his excellent run of form by scoring two well-taken goals. Aside from the goal, he was quite sharp in attack, linking up well with his teammates.
The former Real Madrid star has now plundered four goals in his last four games.
Willian (6.5/10): Following a couple of good games, Willian struggled to make an impact. His general gameplay in the final third was good but wasn’t effective, although his set-piece deliveries created quite a stir in the Palace defence.
Substitutes
Eden Hazard (7.5/10): Made an instant impact after coming on for Willian in the 64th minute by setting up Alvaro Morata who restored Chelsea’s lead.
Mateo Kovacic (7/10): Looked significantly better than Barkley after being introduced around the hour-mark. The Croatian strung together a series of passes in midfield as Chelsea eased to a 3-1 victory.
Cesc Fabregas (NA): Replaced the tiring Jorginho in the 80th minute.
