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Chelsea defeated RB Salzburg 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, October 25. The result means they have qualified for the knockout stages, with their final position in the group dependant on others' results.
The Blues came into this game on the back of an impressive run of results. They have won five and have drawn two of their last seven games, keeping five clean sheets in the process. Graham Potter seems to have figured his players out and established a good chemistry in the squad. He fielded a strong lineup for this game.
Chelsea made a dominant start to the game, playing a high line and maintaining possession of the ball over large spells. They kept 76% possession in the first half and rarely allowed RB Salzburg more than a minute with the ball. This allowed them to have seven attempts on goal, with six of them on target.
The Blues also managed to take the lead midway through the first period. The ball was played into Salzburg's box and they failed to clear it properly. Kai Havertz pounced on the loose ball and rolled it towards Mateo Kovacic, who finished with aplomb to make it 1-0 to Chelsea.
RB Salzburg were rocked by the goal and were fairly ineffective in the final third themselves. They attempted four shots in the first half but only one was on target and it was fairly easy for Kepa Arrizabalaga to save. The visitors were clearly the stronger of the two sides as they carried a one-goal lead into half-time.
RB Salzburg came up with a response just four minutes after the restart as they came out for the second half all guns blazing. Maxmilian Wober carried the ball forward on the break and played an inch-perfect cross into the box. Chukwubuike Adamu timed his run to perfection and calmly slotted the ball past Kepa to make it 1-1 after 49 minutes.
However, Chelsea were not behind for long. They found the go-ahead goal and in spectacular fashion. Kai Havertz received the ball from Christian Pulisic and controlled it with a soft touch. He then smashed it into the top-left corner, with the ball ricocheting off the crossbar before going in. Both sides made several changes shortly after the goal.
There were multiple disruptions to the flow of the game as players clashed and hard tackles flew in from either side. However, the hosts were unable to fashion an opening to score. The game ended in a 2-1 win for Chelsea. That said, let's take a detailed look at how their players performed.
Chelsea Player Ratings
Kepa Arrizabalaga - 7/10
Kepa had little to do in the first half as he only had one fairly straightforward save to make. However, Salzburg turned up the heat in the second half and forced the Spaniard into four decent saves. He also punched the ball clear four times and was booked for arguing in the dying embers.
Trevoh Chalobah - 7/10
Chalobah had a decent game in the Blues' back three as he played the entire 90 minutes and looked sharp on defense.
Thiago Silva - 7.5/10
Silva played a great game and organized his fellow defenders well to keep Chelsea's rigid shape. He won six of his seven duels, making four clearances, three blocks and two tackles.
Marc Cucurella - 7/10
Cucurella seems to have adjusted well as a third center back rather than playing in his favored wing-back position. He had a decent game and played the full 90 minutes.
Christian Pulisic - 6/10
Pulisic provided an assist for Chelsea's second goal but was ineffective apart from that. He won just five of his 17 duels and did not attempt a single shot on goal. He was also unable to play a single cross or long ball.
Jorginho - 7/10
Jorginho was the Blues' captain on the night and put in a strong performance, leading his side to an important win.
Mateo Kovacic - 7.5/10
Kovacic had a great game and scored Chelsea's first goal after showing great presence of mind to position himself on the edge of the box. He also won four of his five duels and played four accurate long balls and one key pass.
Raheem Sterling - 6.5/10
Sterling had a decent game as Chelsea kept possession for nearly three quarters of the total game time. He was good on the ball and passed it around well, while his movement lacked sharpness and directness at times. Sterling played four key passes and won three of his seven duels.
Conor Gallagher - 7.5/10
Gallagher was a livewire for the Blues as he was deployed in an attacking midfield role. He played three key passes, four accurate crosses and three accurate long balls. He won eight of his 11 duels and attempted two shots, both of which were blocked. He was also booked in the game for time-wasting.
Kai Havertz - 7.5/10
Havertz has looked in fine form over the past few weeks with his stunning goal to make it 2-1 a testament to his abilities. He attempted a total of four shots, with three on target. He also won seven of his 17 duels.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 6/10
Aubameyang was wasteful in front of goal as he missed several chances to score after attempting weak shots or misplacing the ball. He took six shots, with five on target and one wide of the mark.
Substitutes
Ruben Loftus-Cheek - 6.5/10
He came on with just under 30 minutes left to play and was a valuable injection of energy into a midfield with tired legs.
Cesar Azpilicueta, Armando Broja, Mason Mount & Hakim Ziyech - N/A
The quartet all came on and played very few minutes to warrant a rating as the game was slowed down to a near half with several incidents in the second half.
