Chelsea vs Tottenham took some time to get heated up but there was a full boil going by the final stages of Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.
The London derby rivals might’ve been a little tentative to start and Chelsea definitely looked like the club that’s been in the rivalry ascendancy for some time, but Tottenham found some life through a tactical switch after halftime.
[ MORE: Tuchel furious with referee after Conte fight ]
When all was said and done, however, a Chelsea team in some need a statement performance for its manager got one for Thomas Tuchel, and did it at the expense of a man who’s brought it silverware in Antonio Conte.
Did Conte wait a bit too long to make some substitutions, or did some of his usual stars just let him down? A little of both?
WATCH CHELSEA vs TOTTENHAM FULL MATCH REPLAY STREAM
Let’s dig into Chelsea vs Tottenham player ratings.
Chelsea player ratings vs Tottenham
Eduoard Mendy: 6.5 — Terrific early save on Ryan Sessegnon moments after the Blues went ahead on a chance that could’ve stifled Chelsea’s early joy. You want to judge his failure to get to the late corner, but four Spurs attackers were there, too.
Reece James: 7.5 — Well taken goal and good day going forward and defending. Gives his all, that’s for sure.
Kalidou Koulibaly: 8 — Proving every bit the Premier League player he was rumored to be year-upon-year-upon-year. A Kevin De Bruyne-esque finish to start the scoring. Actually terrifying.
Thiago Silva: 6
Marc Cucurella: 6.5– Buzzed up and down the pitch in a performance that will leave Pep Guardiola grimacing at City ownership (or whatever allowed the transfer to get to Chelsea).
Ruben Loftus-Cheek: 6.5
Jorginho (Off 73′): 5 — A quieter day as Chelsea’s central midfield work was best done without the ball. Gives the ball away in his box under pressure leading up to Hojbjerg goal.
N’Golo Kante (Off 85′): 6
Mason Mount: 7 — Not terribly effective in attack but his seven tackles and constant pressure were key to Chelsea’s moments of control.
Raheem Sterling (On 85′): 6.5 — Got his assist and the explosive nature he brings to the Blues is almost as clear as his calm in big-game experiences. That said, He struggled to drive at Tottenham’s back line and should’ve scored at least one.
Kai Havertz: 6.5 (Off 90′) — Could’ve scored. Should’ve scored. But got stuck into countless challenges and looked dangerous on the dribble. Still, he’s here to score goals and did not.
Subs
Cesar Azpilicueta (On 73′): N/A
Conor Gallagher (On 85′): N/A
Christian Pulisic (On 85′): N/A
Armando Broja (On 90′): N/A
Tottenham player ratings vs Chelsea
Hugo Lloris: 5.5 — It’ll read a bit harsh but like Harry Kane getting a half-change, we’re used to Hugo Lloris coming up with a huge save. Could he have done better with the second Chelsea goal? It was a one-save day for the World Cup winner.
Ben Davies: 7.5 — Among Spurs’ MOTM candidates, with eight clearances and four tackles plus the layoff to Hojbjerg for Spurs’ lone goal.
Eric Dier: 6.5
Cristian Romero: 6.5 — Was set for a Spurs MOTM-type nod until he pulled Cucurella’s hair in a move that, should it have been called by VAR, would’ve sent him off and cost the corner that led to Kane’s goal.
Ryan Sessegnon (Off 57′): 5 — Pulled after 57 minutes, Chelsea had joy down the right side as Ruben Loftus-Cheek was a big foil for Sessegnon
Emerson Royal (Off 82′): 5.5 — Had enough bright moments going forward that you could miss his mistakes on Chelsea “almost” moments.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: 8 — Only Kane was as strong a player on the day. Six clearances, four tackles, three blocked shots.
Rodrigo Betancur (Off 80′): 6
Dejan Kulusevski: 4.5 — We don’t say this much about the 22-year-old but he played a young and Immature game today.
Heung-min Son (Off 80′): 4 — One of the worst days you’ll see from the South Korean star, who was starved of the ball and didn’t have a good day defensively. Failed to close down Reece James cross on what should’ve been a Kai Havertz goal.
Harry Kane: 8.5– Come the moment, come the man. He missed a chance to score earlier in the match and he doesn’t often miss twice, does he? Busy all day even with very little support until Richarlison arrived into the game.
Subs
Richarlison (On 57′): 6.5 — Made his case on a day that Son and Kulusevski showed their fallibility.
Ivan Perisic (On 80′): 7 — Gets an assist on the corner
Yves Bissouma (On 80′): N/A
Lucas Moura (On 82′): N/A
