Chelsea drew a blank away at Tottenham Hotspur as Jose Mourinho‘s new-look attacking line failed to shine.
The Portuguese coach pulled a surprise ahead of the match when he opted to drop the under-performing Diego Costa and replace him with the offensive tandem of Eden Hazard and Pedro as the Pensioners sought goals away at the home of their fierce rivals Spurs.
The manager’s masterstroke didn’t quite come off, with the latter missing a fine chance and the former struggling to provide the goal threat that the Blues crave.
In this feature, we present the Chelsea Player Ratings against Tottenham Hotspur.
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GK Asmir Begovic – 7/10
Overcame a seemingly nasty head injury during the first half to keep the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min at bay.
DF Cesar Azpilicueta – 7.5/10
Coped well with Erik Lamela following the Argentine international’s entrance, and was arguably the key man in a fine Chelsea backline.
DF Gary Cahill – 7/10
Solid, even though Spurs perhaps had more chances in the first half than Mourinho would have liked.
DF Kurt Zouma – 7/10
Replaced the injured John Terry in his preferred centre-back role after recent cameos on the right side of the defence. More mobile than the injured skipper, and certainly looks like the long-term solution in the heart of the defence.
DF Branislav Ivanovic – 7.5/10
Improving with every game after an infamously tricky start to the season.
MF Cesc Fabregas – 6/10
Still far from his best, appearing lethargic in the heart of the midfield and struggling to influence proceedings.
MF Nemanja Matic – 6.5/10
Better than Fabregas, but there were far too many stray passes, while he was largely dominated by Mousa Dembele, something that wouldn’t have seemed possible last season.
MF Oscar – 7/10
Probing and prompting, without truly taking the game by the scruff of its neck and imposing his creative wiles.
MF Willian – 7.5/10
Remains a shining light for the Blues, even though his every touch was booed by Spurs fans who once hoped he’d become a White Hart Lane hero. Replaced by Kenedy on 89 minutes.
MF Pedro – 6/10
Alternated with Eden Hazard between playing as the leading man and as a No. 10, but remains far from his best. Guilty of a poor miss.
FW Eden Hazard – 6.5/10
A few moments that lifted him (slightly) above mediocrity, but Hazard is not a centre-forward, and Mourinho’s attempts to play him as such appear more of a snub at Diego Costa than a genuine show of faith in Hazard’s abilities.
Substitutes:
Kenedy – 6/10
Introduced for Willian on 89 minutes.
Roben Loftus-Cheek – 6/10
A 91st-minute substitute for Pedro.