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#3 Loftus-Cheek steals the show
The midfielder put forth a timely reminder of his potential by taking the match ball home with a stunning hat-trick. For him to break into a star-studded midfield consisting of N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Ross Barkley, Cesc Fabregas, and Jorginho, it was all about grasping his rare chance with both hands.
Apart from his goals, the 22-year-old fit into the system quite well. He was defensively aware and alert. Although not too tested defensively in midfield till the dying stages, he put up a fine shift in the middle. Next, his link-up play and passing was absolutely impeccable. A couple of one-twos and through balls were a treat to the eyes.
The midfielder also completed seven of his take-ons, portraying his dribbling finesse.
While there are no questions about his strength, technical intelligence and vision, the Englishman still had to score more often. Here, he did exactly that.
For his first two goals, he smartly escaped his markers and finished off beautifully. His third was a beauty as well. Pedro carried the ball from midfield but was tackled inside the box. The ball fell to the path of Loftus-Cheek who struck it first time and found the bottom corner emphatically.
Take a bow, Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
