Arsenal v Chelsea player ratings
Chelsea were embarrassed by Arsenal in a dire Boxing Day derby. Here’s how we rated the players in a painful 3-1 loss at Emirates Stadium.
Edouard Mendy: 6
He could have been better positioned for Granit Xhaka’s free-kick that although well hit was not in the corner, but had no chance with the other goals Mendy also made a couple of smart stops – albeit one to make up for his own error.
Reece James: 5
A welcome rapid return after injury but he allowed himself to get sucked in by Kieran Tierney and the Arsenal full-back then instigated the minimal contact that led to the penalty that seemed harsh at best. A frustrating match for the England full-back. James was as prominent as anyone in trying to help Chelsea recover but was nowhere near producing the form that has been on show all season.
Kurt Zouma: 6
Zouma had a decent game in Chelsea’s third consecutive away defeat but like all his defensive colleagues, he had trouble coping with Arsenal’s pace and movement.
Thiago Silva: 5
He was slow to close down for the third goal, the mis-hit cross scored by Bukayo Saka, and the nature of the game meant he had a tough afternoon in a defence constantly exposed to the counter-attack.
Ben Chilwell: 5
Lacking in his usual energy, Chilwell – like James – looked off the pace and made little contribution in the final third.
N’Golo Kante: 5
The effort was without question, but had almost no influence on the game before making way for Kai Havertz with less than 20 minutes left.
Mateo Kovacic: 5
Kovacic was taken off at half-time as boss Frank Lampard chased the game but, while average, the Croatian was no worse than anyone else.
Mason Mount: 7
The standout Blues player, in terms of commitment, work-rate, attitude and quality. He won the penalty late on and was the main reason the defeat was not by a bigger margin.
Christian Pulisic: 7
As bright as anyone in a Chelsea shirt, but that is not much of as boast on a miserable evening in north London.
Timo Werner: 5
Another desperate performance for the German who looked unplayable at the start of his Blues career but has been woefully lacking in confidence in recent weeks.
Tammy Abraham: 6
One or two promising moments in the first half could have led to goals and he maintained his work-rate but although he was starved of service he kept at it and was rewarded with a late goal.
Callum Hudson-Odoi: 6
Saw plenty of the ball after coming on in the second half. He was bright and always willing to take responsibility, and sent in several fine crosses, including for Abraham’s late goal.
Jorginho: 5
Neat and tidy but generally ineffective as Arsenal soon extended their lead and closed out victory with the minimum of trouble and then had a stoppage-time penalty saved.
Kai Havertz: 5
Havertz came on with the game seemingly lost and was unable to spark a miraculous fightback.
