Chelsea kept their dream of qualifying for the Champions League next season alive by securing a last-gasp win over Cardiff City this afternoon.
The Blues were nowhere near their best, but late goals from Cesar Azpilicueta and Ruben Loftus-Cheek helped them secure all three points against the Bluebirds.
Kepa Arrizabalaga (6/10): The young Spaniard was largely untested as Chelsea dominated possession throughout the course of the game. Would have liked to keep a clean sheet but had very little chance to stop Camarasa’s effort in the second half.
Cesar Azpilicueta (7.5/10): A disciplined defensive performance to keep out Junior Hoilett on the right flank. But, it was his excellent leadership qualities and commitment that was eye-catching as the Spaniard eventually scored the equaliser by nodding home in the 84th minute, although he was offside.
Antonio Rudiger (7/10): Bit of a rusty performance from Rudiger, who was unconvincing in his passing and made a couple of rash tackles. But, he did well to deal with Oumar Niasse throughout the course of the game.
David Luiz (6/10): Had to cover for Marcos Alonso for the most part of the game, which put more pressure on the Brazilian defender. His passing game was nowhere near as accurate while he also struggled to keep up with Josh Murphy at times.
Marcos Alonso (4/10): Yet another awful display from the Spaniard, who was careless going forward, leaving behind acres of space for the Cardiff attackers to exploit. He was also quite ineffective in his offensive forays down the flank, meaning he was one of the worst performers on the pitch this afternoon.
Mateo Kovacic (5.5/10): Looked very good on the ball and kept things neat and tidy in midfield. However, he lacked the incision in his passes and was overall, ineffective.
Jorginho (6/10): Was tightly marked by the Cardiff City midfielders in an attempt to sabotage Chelsea’s approach play. And the move paid off as the Italian struggled to influence the game with his passing and ball distribution, ultimately making way for Ruben-Loftus Cheek in the second half.
Ross Barkley (6/10): While Kovacic struggled to make an impact, Barkley had an excellent opportunity to make an impression. But, he too, found it difficult to manipulate the Cardiff City defence despite a promising start to the game.
Pedro (5/10): Looked erratic and uncomfortable throughout the first half, filled with poor touches, sloppy passes and ineffective movements. As a result, he was rightfully subbed off barely ten minutes after the restart.
Gonzalo Higuain (4/10): Looked slow and lacked the mobility, which could have been helpful in breaking down a well-disciplined Cardiff City backline. An inspiring performance from the Argentine attacker, who made way for Olivier Giroud during the final phase of the game.
Willian (7/10): Was perhaps the most active Chelsea attacker in the first-half as he took a lot of shots to test the Cardiff City goalkeeper. His also created a few chances, and his deliveries from wider positions were somewhat impressive.
SUBSTITUTES
Eden Hazard (7.5/10): Sarri was quick to introduce Eden Hazard in this game when the Belgian international replaced Pedro in the 53rd minute. He made an instant impact on the proceedings with his mazy runs and immaculate control on the ball, which caused a lot of trouble for the opposition defence.
Ruben-Loftus Cheek (8/10): Replaced Jorginho just after the hour-mark and offered much-needed energy and vigour that was lacking from Chelsea the entire game. The English international also struck the telling blow by nodding Willian’s delivery in the injury time to seal all three points for his side.
Olivier Giroud (NA): Made a telling impact after replacing Higuain in the 77th minute. Giroud looked tidy with his passing, and his positioning was excellent, unlike the Argentine.
