Southampton v Chelsea player ratings
Eden Hazard, Ross Barkley and Alvaro Morata scored as Chelsea coasted to victory at St Mary’s. Here’s how we rated each Blues player in the 3-0 win.
Kepa Arrizabalaga: 7
Did what little he had to do calmly and effectively for 75 minutes, before finally being called into action late on when he had to make a couple of excellent saves.
Cesar Azpilicueta: 6
He was caught out a couple of times by Ryan Bertrand in the first half, notably when the former Chelsea man teed up an absolute sitter for Danny Ings. He was largely untroubled defensively but barely featured in attack.
David Luiz: 8
The Brazilian was the standout defender on the pitch. He was flawless at the back and set up numerous attacks, with his typically incisive passing and countless perfectly-timed forays with ball at feet.
Antonio Rudiger: 6
Rudiger got away with three unusual errors in a somewhat shaky showing, He rectified two of the lapses, steaming back to provide cover after a sloppy pass and blocking a shot following a weak header. But he was very lucky after another ill-judged header late on.
Marcos Alonso: 7
Always available on the left and dependable heading back the other way.
Jorginho: 7
Simplicity itself from the midfielder, Jorginho’s ability to fade into the background and spend as little time on the ball as possible was key. He moved things rapidly and let the attacking talent have maximum time in possession.
N’Golo Kante: 7
To type from the Frenchman. Busy, effective, always in support all over the pitch and an irritating presence for the opposition who simply never lets up.
Ross Barkley: 8
Made one and scored the second – his first Chelsea goal – in an excellent all-round showing. Always involved, his tenacity, intelligence and creativity was perfectly illustrated by his fine tackle and astute pass for Hazard’s opener. Looked more settled and in control than at any other time in a Chelsea shirt.
Willian: 7
A nearly display from Willian. He wasted possession in good areas on a couple of occasions but an otherwise more than decent effort will be more more harshly judged simply because he was being compared to the outrageous talents of Hazard.
Eden Hazard: 9
Another masterful display from a man who is at the very top of his game. Mesmerising and supremely confident to the point of arrogance, Hazard dominated the match. His finish for the opener was superb and his pass for the third goal equally impressive. Strong, threatening, creative, sharp and, on this form, unstoppable.
Olivier Giroud: 7
Although there was no repeat of the two-goal heroics in the match-turning substitute appearance from last season, Giroud played a vital role proving the importance of a reliable focal point up front. His clever run and acrobatic volley teed up Barkley’s simple tap-in, he should have won a first-half penalty and his hold-up play was, at times, delightful.
Alvaro Morata: 7
He looked sharp and intent on grabbing a second goal in two games after his confidence-boosting Europa League winner. Morata duly obliged with an instinctive late dinked finish after a slick move to make up for a missed chance soon after coming on.
Pedro: 5
Strangely quiet after coming on late, Pedro saw very little of the ball with Hazard dominating the play and revelling in the freedom in the closing stages of the match.
Kovacic: 6
Neat and tidy and instrumental in setting up Morata’s sealing goal.
