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A brace from Timo Werner followed by a Tammy Abraham goal helped Chelsea beat Rennes 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Matchday 3 of the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League.
In what turned out to be a comfortable evening for the Blues against 10-man Rennes, there were plenty of positives to take for Frank Lampard. Indeed, his side has now gone over seven hours without conceding a goal and are undefeated in ten games in all competitions.
Neither goalkeeper was tested in the early exchanges of the game, although Chelsea looked settled and comfortable.
In the tenth minute of the game, Dalbert clipped Werner inside the 18-yard box down the right. The German dispatched the ensuing penalty with ease to bring up his fifth goal in six matches for Chelsea.
About half an hour later, it was Dalbert again who was astonishingly deemed to have blocked a Tammy Abraham shot with his hand. To rub salt into Rennes' wounds, the left-back was sent off, much to the frustration of Julien Stephan.
Rennes displayed some steel despite being a man down, but it was a mountain to climb after Abraham tripled his side's lead on the night.
On that note, let us have a look at the ratings of Chelsea players from their authoritative Champions League win over Rennes.
Edouard Mendy - 7.5/10
Apart from a few routine catches off corners and crosses and a fine late save, Edouard Mendy enjoyed a pleasant evening between the sticks. The clean sheet adds an extra token of confidence, though.
Reece James - 9.5/10
Reece James' intelligence and smart defending ensured Rennes could not maraud down Chelsea's right side. The Englishman offered width down the flank and stretched the opposition backline. His crosses caused a host of problems to Rennes as well, one of them resulting in an assist to Abraham.
Thiago Silva - 8/10
Thiago Silva appeared composed throughout and kept his composure against the intermittent pressing by Rennes. While he was expectedly neat with the ball under his feet, the veteran excelled at the back, keeping Rennes' attacks out.
His leadership acumen and tactical nous are one of the prime reasons behind Chelsea's recent defensive resurgence.
Kurt Zouma - 8/10
Kurt Zouma's aggressive defending was a real highlight of Chelsea's excellent defending. The centre-back dealt with difficult passes and tracked every run of Serhou Guirassy and defused many of Rennes' attacks.
Ben Chilwell - 8/10
Ben Chilwell continues to grow into his Chelsea shirt. The full-back was assured, calm and disciplined at the back. He was also a willing presence up front with Chelsea taking charge of proceedings more often than not.
N'Golo Kante - 9/10
N'Golo Kante's awareness and tendency to sense the next pass knocked the stuffing out of Rennes, who were outplayed in midfield by the little Frenchman. Kante won the ball back numerous times and injected a real sense of urgency with his quick thinking and passing.
Arguably Chelsea's finest player seems to have returned to his destructive best.
Jorginho - 7.5/10
Jorginho wasn't on penalty duties against Rennes but masterfully completed his job in the middle. He hurried on to Rennes players and always looked for a creative pass.
Mason Mount - 7/10
Mason Mount kept things ticking over and was always on the half-turn whenever in position to receive the ball. His determination to dart forward had Rennes on their toes.
Hakim Ziyech - 6.5/10
Apart from his genius on the inside right, Ziyech's sharpness and work rate off the ball was exceptional. He won the ball back in dangerous areas and kept things ticking for Chelsea.
Ziyech wasn't as effective in the final third on a day when one would have expected him to run riot. He also missed an easy chance off a Chilwell cross from close range.
Tammy Abraham - 8.5/10
Tammy Abraham worked hard and bagged a well-deserved goal down the near post with a tidy tap-in. The young forward is putting forth a strong case for the number nine spot, with Werner operating down the left in recent games.
Timo Werner - 9/10
Timo Werner's pace and precision was a serious threat down either flank for Chelsea. He played smart one-twos with the likes of Chilwell and Mount, offered great movement to his full-backs and rounded off his evening with two well-claimed penalties.
Ratings of Chelsea Substitutes
Mateo Kovacic - 6/10
Mateo Kovacic's ease on the ball brought about a sense of fluidity for the Blues. A player of his calibre and class only adds reliability to the centre of the park for Chelsea.
Emerson - 6.5/10
Amid all the transfer speculation, it was fabulous to see Emerson get some much-needed minutes in the tank. He did his job on both sides of the pitch after coming off the bench.
Olivier Giroud - 5/10
Olivier Giroud did not have as many touches as he'd have liked, but he did squander one opportunity when he was eyeball-to-eyeball with Alfred Gomis.
Antonio Rudiger - 5/10
Antonio Rudiger was barely called into action after coming on. Chelsea saw off the game with the ball at their feet for the most part.
Callum Hudson-Odoi - 6/10
Calllum Hudson-Odoi didn't receive too many opportunities to run at the Rennes defence or replicate his goal-scoring form from Chelsea's last Champions League outing.
Also check out: Complete Champions League Results and live Scores 2020/21
