Chelsea secured their first win of the 22-23 season in the Premier League. A penalty kick from Jorginho before half-time secured the 1-0 victory against Everton at Goodison Park. A win is all that matters, but there are areas we can work on as we prepare for Tottenham Hotspur next weekend. A sluggish start to the season, but also some positives to take away. Here's a brief breakdown and my performance ratings for Chelsea.
Positives:
We saw time and time again during the preseason how solid our defenders are against speedy wingers and counterattacks. Thiago Silva deserves much credit for helping earn a clean sheet, and Edouard Mendy was the standout star for Chelsea with a series of incredible saves during important moments in the match.
Points for Improvements:
Chelsea struggled with attacking strategies--we were too predictable and our finishing was not clinical enough. Tuchel needs a way to support newcomer Raheem Sterling who failed to find space between defenders. Despite substitutions that saw Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek introduced to increase attacking presence, we slowed down the pace, decided not to apply pressure, play a very conservative game which led to scoring opportunities for the Toffees.
Player Ratings (1-10; 10 = best performance)
GK Edouard Mendy: 8.5
Strong hand in the first half; important save against Demarai Gray in the opening moments of the second half
DF Kalidou Koulibaly: 6.5
Decent performance in aerial duels and good cover against dangerous wing-side attacks; passes to the midfield region could be improved
DF Thiago Silva: 8
Great interceptions to prevent scoring chances; Leader-like figure on the pitch as usual; Silva's ability to read games set the tone for Chelsea
DF Cesar Azpilicueta: 6
Minimal mistakes; firm and accurate passes/crosses to wingers; could've had better chemistry with Silva and Koulibaly when covering up Everton's attacks down the flank
MF Ben Chilwell: 6.5
Won Chelsea the penalty before half-time after an instinctive run into the box; will take some time into the season for Chilwell to turn in-form
MF Jorginho: 7
Game-winning penalty that sent Pickford the wrong way; contributed to most attacking plans as the center figure throughout the game; minimal interventions on the defensive side
MF N'Golo Kante: 7
Good balance between defending and attacking play; quick transitions into attack that opened up spaces; quick to stop threatening counterattacks
MF Reece James: 4
Typical style of stabbing the flanks failed with good coverage from Everton; struggled to find an alternative way to contribute to scoring chances; picked up unnecessary yellow card
FW Raheem Sterling: 5
Left with no room to be creative; surrounded by Everton jerseys; very few promising moments to make a difference in attack
FW Kai Havertz: 3.5
Anonymous display from the German; close to no meaningful impact on the game
FW Mason Mount: 6
Powerful mid-range shots to test Everton's goalkeeper Pickford early in the game; intelligent off-the-ball movements created room for Chilwell to engage in attacking moments and help with the buildup play.
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