Cesar Azpilicueta and match-winner Diego Costa were Chelsea’s top performers in the Blues’ 1-0 Premier League win against Crystal Palace. Here is how the Chelsea XI rated.
GK: Thibaut Courtois (6.5/10) – For the majority of the game, Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois was untroubled by a Crystal Palace front line that has struggled for goals in 2016. Courtois’ 10th clean sheet of the campaign means that he is statistically the safest pair of hands in this season’s Premier League, so far.
CB: Cesar Azpilicueta (8/10) – The Chelsea defender covered all bases against Palace. Quick on the recovery, defensively stoic, and offensively effective; Azpilicueta was Chelsea’s man-of-the-match. A fine performance was highlighted with a pin-point assist for Diego Costa’s vital goal.
CB: David Luiz (7.5/10) – Yet again, the Brazilian maverick was masterful as the middle component of manager Antonio Conte’s back three. Luiz cruised through the game with impressive awareness and capability to subdue Palace’s attack.
CB: Gary Cahill (7.5/10) – In his one-on-one battle with Palace’s front man Christian Benteke, central defender Cahill was undoubtedly the victor. Cahill’s display was in line with the trio of Chelsea’s back three, and was instrumental in providing Conte with his third consecutive clean sheet.
RWB: Victor Moses (6/10) – The former Palace man will be disappointed with his showing against his boyhood club. Moses has been one of Chelsea’s many positives under Conte, but the 26-year-old will not be celebrating this past week’s birthday with today’s performance.
Moses’ work rate and energy in tandem with Azpilicueta cannot be faulted, but the final ball and attacking prowess was lacking in this one.
CM: N’Golo Kante (6.5/10) – Instrumental in Leicester City’s title-winning midfield last season, Kante is becoming similarly significant in Chelsea’s bid for the Premier League in 2016-17. The combative Kante hustled and bustled in Conte’s engine room, but the French international’s distribution and attacking intent was a disappointment,.
CM: Nemanja Matic (7.5/10) – The deep-lying midfield antithesis to Kante, Nemanja Matic demonstrated just why he supplements the diminutive Frenchman. Calm, unflustered and considered with the ball – and physically imposing without – Matic was the standout central midfielder against Palace – although the home side’s Yohan Cabaye ran Matic close on that count.
LWB: Marcos Alonso (7.5/10) – The crossbar denied Alonso what would have been a fitting goal to accompany the 25-year-old’s impressive display. Chelsea’s left wing-back is becoming a vital cog in the Conte, and Eden Hazard, machine – and the Blues’ number 3 got forward to support Chelsea’s attacks with regular occurrences throughout the match. Alonso’s duel with the pace and trickery of Palace’s Wilfried Zaha was entertaining to witness.
AM: Willian (6.5) – Chelsea can always rely on a Willian performance permeated with energy and a high work-ethic. However, like Moses, this trait was not enough to impact on the game and consequently the Brazilian midfielder was replaced by the classy Cesc Fabregas (7/10) in the second half. Fabregas helped the likes of Kante and Matic see out the game via plenty of effective use of the ball.
AM: Eden Hazard (7.5/10) – Absolutely flourishing in his more creative and expressive role in Conte’s 3-4-3 system, Hazard glided around the field causing mischief wherever he could. Nevertheless, Chelsea’s number 10 may well have expected more from his output against Palace – considering the high standards that Hazard sets.
FW: Diego Costa (8/10) – Chelsea’s match winner was at his menacing best throughout a physical encounter with Palace’s Scott Dann. Costa’s 13th of the season was Chelsea’s first headed goal of the campaign.
The 28-year-old led the line superbly well, with the only dampener being the yellow card picked up in the first half – meaning that Costa will miss the Boxing Day match against Bournemouth, having accrued five cautions this term.
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