Cardiff v Chelsea player ratings

Chelsea stole victory at the Cardiff City Stadium thanks to late goals from Cesar Azpilicueta and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Here’s how we rated each Blues player in the 2-1 win against struggling Cardiff.

Kepa Arrizabalaga: 6

He had almost nothing to do and could not be faulted for Victor Camarasa’s wonderful first-time volley.

Cesar Azpilicueta: 6

The Spaniard showed a captain’s attitude throughout and was rewarded for his persistence with the goal that sparked the unlikely revival, albeit he was clearly offside when he headed the ball home.

Antonio Rudiger: 5

Rudiger was typically feisty and spiky and could easily have been sent off after a row with Bruno Manga before he was yellow-carded late on. He had an uneasy afternoon but at least his commitment and passion was evident throughout.

David Luiz: 5

He was troubled by the pace of the excellent Josh Murphy and was less effective than normal with his passing from the back

Marcos Alonso: 6

Defended well enough and got forward too, making a telling contribution to the all-important equaliser.

Jorginho: 4

Ineffective and marked out of the game but was not helped by his team-mates who offered very little movement in attacking areas. Was lucky not to be sent off for two cynical fouls that warranted bookings, only one of which was given.

Mateo Kovacic: 4

One or two purposeful runs aside, Kovacic was poor as part of a midfield that offered precious little going forward.

Ross Barkley: 5

His impressive work-rate and a willingness to at least try to up the pace made him the pick of a poor midfield bunch, but he did miss a great late chance to wrap up the points.

Willian: 5

Casual, wasteful and poor for the most part before finding space following the introduction of Eden Hazard late on. He made the most with a couple of fine crosses for the goals.

Pedro: 5

Unfortunate not to score with a fine curling strike in the first half but made very little impact otherwise.

Gonzalo Higuain: 5

Starved of service but he was also sloppy in possession on more than one occasion and his movement and hold-up play were predictable.

Eden Hazard: 8

Head and shoulders above his colleagues after coming on, changing the dynamic of the match with both his contribution with ball at feet and his ability to free up space for others.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek: 7

Brought purpose, tempo and much-needed pace and running ability from central areas and scored a fabulous headed winner.

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