Chelsea v Man Utd player ratings
Chelsea secured a place in the FA Cup semi-finals with a 1-0 victory over Jose Mourinho’s 10-man Manchester United. Here’s how we rated the players in the quarter-final tie at Stamford Bridge.
Thibaut Courtois: 7
The Belgian produced one sublime save to deny Marcus Rashford from United’s best chance of the match when the England striker raced through on the break, but was otherwise untested.
Cesar Azpilicueta: 7
Defended solidly and, crucially, made a big difference as an auxiliary attacker after the interval when he consistently created space by pushing forward on the right. The only blemish on a fine display was a couple of woeful strikes on goal from distance.
David Luiz: 6
His horrendous error of judgement in trying to nick possession from Rashford led to United’s best chance, but the Brazilian got away with it and was – that moment apart – disciplined and sensible.
Gary Cahill: 7
The England centre-half was troubled by Rashford’s pace and pressurising in the early stages, but with United reduced to 10 men he looked far more comfortable – except when he got turned inside out by Rashford following Luiz’s gaffe.
Victor Moses: 7
He struggled to find a route past the surprisingly effective Ashley Young for the majority of the match, but was a constant menace and remained reliable in defence.
Nemanja Matic: 7
While outshone by the remarkable N’Golo Kante, he provided an excellent foil for the Frenchman, controlling the midfield and allowing the more creative and pacier players the freedom to exploit the extra space in the second half.
N’Golo Kante: 9
Yet another astonishing performance in a incredible season. Kante’a brilliant, measured 25-yard strike was enough to settle the tie and his energy, tackling and work-rate were even more impressive.
Marcos Alonso: 7
The Spaniard was unable to get into advanced areas as much as he normally does, but with United dropping deep, he was cute in keeping his position out wide to ensure Chelsea retained the ball and the visitors got stretched.
Willian: 6
He appeared off the pace early on but improved markedly after the break, when he started to gain confidence and run at the United defence. The Brazilian was desperately unlucky not to score with a glorious first-time curling effort.
Eden Hazard: 8
Chelsea’s standout creative player was excellent again, riding some heavy challenges, taking some unfair punishment and still demanding possession. Hazard’s stunning turn provoked Ander Herrera into the foul which got him sent off.
Diego Costa: 7
As niggly and naughty as ever but not quite as sharp in the final third as he can be. Mistimed a header from a second-half corner and looked frustrated for much of the game.
