Chelsea clinched the Premier League title by beating Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. Here’s how we rated the players in Sunday’s 1-0 win.
Thibaut Courtois: 7
Made an excellent second-half block from Wilfried Zaha, spreading himself at his near post, and also caught well and made a fine interception from a dangerous Palace break at the end of the first period. Inspired confidence as he has done throughout the season.
Branislav Ivanovic: 8
Always involved and always desperate to make an impact in attack, the Serbian still plays with the boundless enthusiasm of a 10-year-old. Defended solidly, made countless breaks to support the attack, smashed one effort over the bar and laid on a couple of decent chances.
John Terry: 7
Made one rare mistake but recovered in time to get back in position and help block a Jason Puncheon shot. Had little to do for the most part but, like Cahill, responded with the required calmness and quality when Palace started to threaten late on.
Gary Cahill: 7
Has been excellent in the closing stages of the season, when his defensive abilities have shone through. Provides the ideal foil for Terry when on top of his game and never looked in trouble, standing firm when Palace played two up front late on.
Cesar Azpilicueta: 8
Another faultless performance on a day when the defence was rock solid. The Spaniard also got forward well, having a decent shot on goal before the break and putting in a couple of dangerous crosses.
Nemanja Matic: 8
Dominant throughout, his long reach and loping style stood out in a crowded midfield both when retaining possession and winning it back. He made several trademark surges forward and numerous interceptions and ensured the midfield battle was won.
Cesc Fabregas: 8
The “magic hat” song continuously chanted by the Chelsea fans fits nicely. His versatility shone through once again, showing the ability to dictate play from deep before the interval and then create and threaten the opposition box from further forward when John Mikel Obi came on after the interval.
Willian: 9
Another exceptional display from the Brazilian. Quick and increasingly dangerous in the final third, Willian barely wasted a pass, many of which were far from simple and was also the most likely creator of a goal. A brilliant flick led to the penalty.
Juan Cuadrado: 5
Plenty of endeavour and some signs of his attacking potential, but the Colombian has yet to get anywhere close to proving Chelsea’s money was well spent. The Blues looked better without him after the interval.
Eden Hazard: 8
The key moment of the game saw the Belgian win the penalty and his cool header after his spot-kick was saved showed his composure. Another bustling, all-action display from the Premier League’s standout player that would normally have been good enough to win the man-of-the-match award.
Didier Drogba: 5
The desire and will remains strong and his work-rate and importance to the team shape is unquestionable. But he still looks off the pace, taking too many touches and losing possession all too easily. Could one more season, where he is likely to struggle to get game time, be one season too far?
John Mikel Obi: 7
Brought control and a steadiness to the side that was missing in the first half and also got forward on a surprising number of occasions. Played a vital role in ensuring Chelsea were less susceptible to the counter-attack, while also retaining possession.
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This post was last modified on 08/07/2015