Chelsea player ratings for the 2020-21 Premier League season

Centre-backs

Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen went from being on the fringes to key figures under Tuchel

Kurt Zouma - 7/10

A trusted lieutenant of Frank Lampard, the Frenchman lost his place in the side after the arrival of Thomas Tuchel. The German manager's system of three-man defense pushed Zouma down the pecking order and he played only a bit-part role in the second-half of the campaign.

The defender remains an excellent prospect, turning in decent shifts whenever on the field and even scoring five times. However, Zouma will be concerned about his first-team opportunities and might as well find himself looking for newer pastures in the summer.

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Andreas Christensen - 7.5/10

The Dane's fortunes played out exactly the opposite way as he went from being a bench-warmer under Lampard to a fixture in Tuchel's XI, and he duly repaid the faith with excellent performances.

He passed the ball around with unerring accuracy and read the game brilliantly, averaging over three clearances per game. His season was curtailed by a ligament injury, causing him to miss the final three games of the season, and Chelsea struggled defensively in his absence.

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Antonio Rudiger - 8/10

Another beneficiary of Tuchel's arrival, Antonio Rudiger was barely seen during the first-half of the campaign, but took the second by storm, making the centre-back position his own with top performances.

Chelsea have conceded 26 goals in the 19 league games Antonio Rudiger hasn’t started.They've allowed just seven in the 17 games the German has been in the lineup. pic.twitter.com/2yziJLh7Im

— Goal (@goal) May 13, 2021

It's no coincidence that Chelsea went from conceding 1.34 goals per game without him in the lineup to 0.54 with the German marshaling their backline - no wonder Chelsea are so eager to extend his contract, which expires next year.

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Thiago Silva - 8.5/10

Chelsea appeared to take a gamble on the 36-year-old Thiago Silva, though he arrived on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain and fresh off a Champions League final appearance.

Fast forward your calendar to the present day and his signing has instead proved to be a daylight robbery, for Silva has been a leader at the back and transformed the side's defense.

Chelsea are set to reach an agreement with Thiago Silva and he’s staying, here we go soon! 🔵⏳ #CFCThe contract extension has not been signed yet but the verbal agreement is almost done - just a matter of time, waiting for #CFC to complete paperworks after the final. 🇧🇷 https://t.co/6zBLSSlkZ0

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 18, 2021

He gave the league's most formidable strikers a tough run for their money and averaged over five clearances per game! Chelsea are now set to extend his contract by another year.