A hard-fought victory against a resolute Middlesbrough defence, but Chelsea came out victorious at the end.
Let’s see how the players fared:
Courtois: Barely had anything to do in the first half that he had to come out to warm up with the substitutes at halftime. Had a good save from Negredo in the 78th minute. 7/10
Azpilicueta: Had a tough job to do at the back today and to his credit, he wasn’t found wanting against a Middlesbrough attack that included Adama Traore and Negredo. 7/10
Luiz: Won a lot of the aerial balls and did well to handle the threat of Negredo in the centre. 7/10
Cahill: Did well at the back today, and was part of a solid Chelsea backline that had to contend with Adama Traore, Gaston Ramirez and Negredo. 7/10
Moses: Had a great game today. Was bursting up and down the right flank, full of energy and supported the attack at will. Deservedly won the man of the match. 8/10
Kante: Hustled and bustled in the middle against a hardworking Middlesbrough side. 7/10
Matic: Did well in the middle today, worked hard for his team in the middle, and did well to protect his backline. 7/10
Alonso: Had a decent game, although his final balls and finishing at times were suspect. 7/10
Pedro: Had a good game, and was unlucky not to score a goal today. Pulled a world-class save from Victor Valdez in the 28th minute, and hit the woodwork in the 63rd minute. 7/10
Hazard: Had a good game against Boro, was exciting but couldn’t get a chance to hit the net against a very hardworking side. 7/10
Costa: Showed striker’s instinct to sniff the danger when everyone else was looking for the ball, and scored the only goal of the game. 8/10
Substitutes:
Chalobah: Came on for Pedro in the 80th minute to help stabilise the midfield for Chelsea, at a time when Boro was beginning to threaten.
Ivanovic: Replaced Moses in the 89th minute to help seal the defence.
Oscar: Came on for Hazard with just 2 minutes of extra time left.
