Chelsea top the Premier League table after goals from Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres gave them a 2-0 win over Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.
£32 million Hazard opened the scoring after 22 minutes via the penalty spot. Torres had evaded the challenge of David Santon before new Newcastle signing Vurnon Anita brought him down and Hazard confidently placed the ball into the bottom left corner.
It was a fantastic display from Torres who doubled the lead on the stroke of half time. A neat one two saw the Belgian back heel the ball into the path of the Spaniard who found the top right corner with a powerful drive.
Petr Cech- 7
- Put his mistake against reading behind him with a competent display. Denied Demba Ba in the second half with an excellent save.
Branislav Ivanovic- 7
- As usual the Serb was solid in defence and continued to be an impressive attacking option. His power and pace and threat from set pieces make him a real asset going forward.
Gary Cahill- 8
- Had to deal with two of the leagues more dangerous strikers in Cisse and Ba and was more than up to the challenge. A good all round performance highlighted by anonymity of the Newcastle number nine.
David Luiz- 7
- A good defensive display to help Cahill quell the away side’s attacking threat. Guilty of taking a few risks when in possession but his impressive defending more than makes up for that.
Ashley Cole- 7
- Was not able to get forward as much as usual as Ben Arfa kept him busy defensively. The Frenchman looked dangerous but Cole remained typically solid and dependable.
John Obi Mikel- 7
- An effective display. The Nigerian took few risks and is not as exiting as his midfield counterparts but his positional play and use of the ball allowed them to perform.
Raul Meireles- 6
- An average performance from the midfielder as he struggled to get into the game. Ineffective defensively and needed to improve his use of the ball.
Juan Mata- 8.5
- Somewhat overshadowed by Hazard, the Spaniard continues to produce impressive performances. Showed no World Cup/Olympic hangover with good movement and combined well with the Belgian and Torres.
Eden Hazard- 9
- At his imperious best and at times looked unplayable as the opposition had no answer to him whether he was running at defenders or picking passes with ease. A well taken penalty and showed wonderful awareness for the assist, which was his sixth of the season.
Ryan Bertrand- 6.5
- Chosen to assist in Cole’s battle with Ben Arfa and while the winger was still a threat Bertrand fulfilled the role well. Didn’t offer much going forward but he wasn’t there to do that.
Fernando Torres- 9.5
- A clear indication that the Spaniard could well be back to his best. Offered everything you want from a striker. Worked hard, was a nightmare for the defence and most importantly scored.
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9.5 for Torres.. Yes, deserving rating. I hope Torres can continue scoring 😀
Mikel and mereiles should be commended the more for giving defensive quality to the defence.
Most accurate ratings of Chelsea players that I have seen in a while. Thumbs up.
Wow.
Chelsea attacking force adopted newly since de arrival of hazard hav nw brought torres to an impressive display thier by making chelsea football exciting.chelsea les attack our rivals cos de best defence is attack