Chelsea 1-0 Manchester City: Player ratings as Hakim Ziyech ends City's quadruple hopes | FA Cup 2020-21

Chelsea are into their fourth FA Cup final in the last five years and 15th overall.
Chelsea are into their fourth FA Cup final in the last five years and 15th overall.

Chelsea reached the 2020-21 FA Cup final, courtesy a solitary-goal win over Manchester City.

Hakim Ziyech scored in the 55th minute to send Chelsea to their 15th final in the competition's final, where will face either Leicester City or Southampton.

Manchester City were far from their rip-roaring best on the night, creating very few chances and rarely testing Chelsea. With Kevin De Bruyne going off with an ankle problem in the second half, Manchester City were second-best for much of the game.

Chelsea could've easily scored another goal or two had they been a bit more clinical with their chances. Meanwhile, substitute Christian Pulisic saw his stoppage-time goal ruled out for offside.

On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings for both Chelsea and Manchester City:


Chelsea Player Ratings against Manchester City

Chelsea are close to winning their first domestic title since 2018.
Chelsea are close to winning their first domestic title since 2018.

Kepa Arrizabalaga - 6/10

The out-of-favour Kepa Arrizabalaga returned to the Chelsea fold and enjoyed a fairly comfortable outing, as Manchester City rarely threatening. In fact, the Spaniard had to make just two saves in the match, picking up a morale-boosting clean sheet in the process.

Cesar Azpilicueta - 7.5/10

It was a defensive masterclass from the Chelsea captain. Cesar Azpilicueta was on the heels of Manchester City defenders, forcing them to concede possession. He made three tackles and five clearances in the game.

Thiago Silva - 7.5/10

Kudos to his perseverance, Thiago Silva continued despite nursing a back problem. The Brazilian was brilliant on the night, making six clearances.

Antonio Rudiger - 7.5/10

Antonio Rudiger complemented Silva with a terrific shift of his own, closing down Manchester City's attackers with elan. He also took care of the flanks on a few occasions.

Reece James - 7/10

Besides a cross for Ben Chilwell early on, Reece James had little to show in attack but came up trumps defensively.

N'Golo Kante - 7.5/10

It was an impressive outing in midfield for N'Golo Kante, who shut out every Manchester City player trying to work his way down the middle. Kante also burst forward a few times. The only downside to his game was his uncharacteristic wayward passing on the night.

Jorginho - 7/10

The key to Chelsea's ball circulation and providing an excellent cover to the back four, Jorginho also made four tackles and completed 92% of his passes.

Ben Chilwell - 7/10

Ben Chilwell missed a good chance during the early exchanges of the game but made his presence felt at both ends of the pitch in a superb all-round performance.

Hakim Ziyech - 8/10

A thorn in Manchester City's flesh all night, Hakim Ziyech always looked to get in behind City's backline. When he succeeded once, he scored Chelsea's winning goal. But he could've netted a second just minutes later.

Mason Mount - 8/10

Werner got the assist for Ziyech's goal, but Mason Mount deserves credit for the long ball that sparked the counter. He also got the better of Fernandinho in midfield.

Timo Werner - 7/10

Timo Werner made some good runs down the flank and hit Manchester City on the break several times, one of which culminated in the German providing the assist to Ziyech's winner, the former's 12th of the season in all competitions.


Ratings of Chelsea substitutes against Manchester City:

Christian Pulisic - 7/10

Christian Pulisic looked bright after coming on and also scored a brilliant goal in stoppage time, but that was ruled out for offside in the build-up to the strike.

Kai Havertz - 5/10

Kai Havertz came on with a little over ten minutes remaining but couldn't produce anything meaningful.

Emerson - 5/10

Emerson came on alongside Havertz but was barely seen in the game.

Kurt Zouma - 7/10

The last substitution of the night, Kurt Zouma managed to make a superb clearance in extra time.

Manchester City Player Ratings against Chelsea

Manchester City's quadruple hopes are over.
Manchester City's quadruple hopes are over.

Zack Steffen - 6/10

Zack Steffen lost his bearings for Chelsea's opening goal, as the Manchester City custodian was one step too ahead. But made a fine stop to deny Ziyech just minutes later.

Joao Cancelo - 5/10

In arguably his worst performance of the season, Joao Cancelo left acres of space at the back for Chelsea to exploit and couldn't produce anything of note going forward either.

Ruben Dias - 5/10

Following a series of top-notch defensive performances, Ruben Dias came crashing back down to earth against Chelsea. He was nowhere to be seen for the game's opening goal and was caught out by Ziyech just minutes later again. To exacerbate matters, the defender blazed a late effort over the bar.

Aymeric Laporte - 6.5/10

The only stable performer in the Manchester City defence, Aymeric Laporte coped well with Chelsea's high press and made fewer mistakes, unlike some of his colleagues.

Benjamin Mendy - 5/10

Benjamin Mendy's forward runs didn't yield anything substantial for Manchester City. He even lost possession a few times, which led to a few breaks from Chelsea.

Fernandinho - 6/10

The Brazilian duelled with Mount with mixed results. Fernandinho made four tackles in the game and two interceptions but also went into the referee's books late on.

Rodri - 6/10

There's no questioning Rodri's commitment or work rate. But overall, his performance left a lot to be desired.

Ferran Torres - 5/10

Ferran Torres was devoid of proper service. In an insipid outing, Torres did not attempt a single shot in the entire game.

Kevin De Bruyne - 6/10

It was a very subdued performance from the Belgian wizard, as he was kept well under wraps by Chelsea's Jorginho. Kevin De Bruyne later succumbed to an ankle injury in the second half.

Raheem Sterling - 5/10

Raheem Sterling continued his poor form against Chelsea. Manchester City's hot streak eclipsed his goal drought, but with another stinker on the night, Sterling's poor form is going to be brought under the scanner. The winger hasn't scored in all competitions since 21st of February and made little impact against Chelsea too.

Gabriel Jesus - 5/10

It was a very disappointing performance from the Manchester City striker, who had only one effort on target in the first half. Gabriel Jesus is a quality player, but seldom steps up in the big games, a good reason for Manchester City to pursue a striker in the summer.


Ratings of Manchester City substitutes against Chelsea:

Ilkay Gundogan - 5/10

Pep Guardiola looked to fire up the Manchester City attack by introducing the in-form Ilkay Gundogan, but the German underwhelmed on the night.

Phil Foden - 6/10

Phil Foden replaced Kevin De Bruyne and brought his youthful energy to the fore but couldn't contribute anything meaningful.

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Edited by Bhargav