Chelsea v Everton player ratings
Chelsea reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup by beating Everton. Here’s how we rated each Blues player in the 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge.
Willy Caballero: 7
The keeper had nothing to do until the second half, when he produced three vital saves and also recovered from his own mistake to deny Aaron Lennon an equaliser.
Antonio Rudiger: 8
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Not only did the big defender score his first goal for the club – a perfectly-judged header into the far corner, he looked the part defensively and was always seeking to set up counter-attacks with his passing from deep.
Andreas Christensen: 7
Looked composed and good on the ball until the dying seconds of the game, when his slip contributed to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal.
Gary Cahill: 6
The skipper was sloppy at times, finding himself turned on more than one occasion – and there was a bizarre moment in the first half when he seemed to award his side a free-kick without waiting for the referee.
Davide Zappacosta: 6
Although Zappacosta got the crowd interested with a few barnstorming runs on the right flank, none of them came to a great deal and he should have done better with a scoring chance late in the first half.
Ethan Ampadu: 7
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Making his first senior start for Chelsea, the teenage midfielder took time to settle down but grew in confidence and displayed his potential with some searching, accurate passes.
Danny Drinkwater: 6
Drinkwater looked understandably rusty on his long-awaited Blues debut, but provided the back three with a solid shield during the opening hour before making way for Cesc Fabregas.
Kenedy: 5
The youngster found himself under pressure when faced with the speed and trickery of Aaron Lennon and generally looked far more comfortable when joining the attack.
Willian: 7
Willian’s creative touch was an important part of Chelsea’s first-half dominance and he hit what ultimately proved the decisive goal with a powerful drive that flew in off the post in injury time.
Michy Batshuayi: 6
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Operating as the central front man, Batshuayi made his presence felt among Everton’s defence without manufacturing a great deal in terms of scoring opportunities.
Charly Musonda: 7
The young Belgian brought plenty of energy to Chelsea’s front line, showing some good touches and supplying the cross for Rudiger to head the opening goal.
Cesc Fabregas: 6
Replacing Drinkwater for the final half hour, Fabregas failed to pick up Kevin Mirallas for what could have been an Everton equaliser – but balanced that out with the assist for Willian late on.
Pedro: 6
There were few opportunities for Pedro to make his mark after joining the fray for the final 20 minutes, but he was solid enough as Chelsea withstood pressure from the visitors.
