Five goal festival
EPL: Chelsea Starting 11 vs Everton
Chelsea hosted Everton on Saturday in what turned out to be a one sided affair. The London blues scored five times to announce themselves as genuine title challengers. After a relatively slow start to the season under Antonio Conte, the pace seems to be finally picking up!
Ever since Conte switched formation to his famous 3-4-3, Chelsea have been unplayable. The Blues won their last five league fixtures and kept five clean sheets on the way. Moreover, the blues currently boast the strongest attack, racking up 26 goals so far and having the best goal difference in the league.
Incidentally, for the first time in a while, two premier league teams both fielded an initial formation of 3-4-3. In the first 20 mins, Ronald Koeman realized the tactical mistake of having three defenders at the back against a strike force of Pedro, Costa & Hazard. Sadly, it was too late! Within a one minute, two quick fire goals from Hazard and Marcos Alonso put Chelsea on the right track to a big win.
In the second half, Chelsea showed their dominance by extending their lead to an enormous 5-0 win. And so, Everton were left wondering what had gone wrong. Chelsea has an imperious defense record, conceding 0 goals over their last five Premier League fixtures.
And so, Everton extended their no-win streak at Stamford Bridge to 22 games over 22 years.
Our readers picked their top three players as part of the Chelsea squad player ratings.
Hazard:
Rating: 9.83
The Belgian wonder takes top spot, and who can actually argue? With two goals to his name, and an assist for Pedro’s goal, Hazard is announcing himself as an early contender for PFA player of the year. With seven goals and one assist in fourteen games so far this season he’s clearly put last season’s worries behind him. Boy it’s good to have him back!
Pedro:
Rating: 9.05
After last season’s woes, a lot of pundits wrote off the previous Barcelona man due to poor performances. This season, not quite. With five assists and two goals to his name so far, he’s cemented his place in the starting eleven under Conte. The switch to a 3-4-3 formation seems to have favored his ability to play through a more central area. This early form seems to announce a breakout season for the Spanish international who’s relishing the prospect of a full season of first team football.
Costa:
Rating: 9.03
DIEEGOO, DIEEGOOO, DIEEGOOO. The crowd chants as Costa smashed in his 9th goal of the season. It was a predatory shot from a corner rebound, a fitting goal to show the diversity of skills boasted by the Spanish bulldozer. In the past weeks, he’s scored the poacher efforts, opportunistic strikes, and the occasional spectacular shot. He’s currently leaging the EPL scoring charts. Costa seems to be set for another season amongst the world’s greatest strikers. Let’s just hope he manages to stay healthy!
Remaining ratings:
Thibaut Courtois: 7.36
Cesar Azpilicueta: 7.94
David Luiz: 8.18
Gary Cahill: 7.91
Marco Alonso: 8.82
Victor Moses: 8.66
Ngolo Kante: 8.41
Nemanja Matic: 8.47
Oscar: 6.68
John Terry: 6.65
Michy Batshuay: 6.61
Any thoughts on the ratings? Let us know below, and make sure to rate your team next game!
EPL: Chelsea Starting 11 vs Everton
Chelsea hosted Everton on Saturday in what turned out to be a one sided affair. The London blues scored five times to announce themselves as genuine title challengers. After a relatively slow start to the season under Antonio Conte, the pace seems to be finally picking up!
Ever since Conte switched formation to his famous 3-4-3, Chelsea have been unplayable. The Blues won their last five league fixtures and kept five clean sheets on the way. Moreover, the blues currently boast the strongest attack, racking up 26 goals so far and having the best goal difference in the league.
Incidentally, for the first time in a while, two premier league teams both fielded an initial formation of 3-4-3. In the first 20 mins, Ronald Koeman realized the tactical mistake of having three defenders at the back against a strike force of Pedro, Costa & Hazard. Sadly, it was too late! Within a one minute, two quick fire goals from Hazard and Marcos Alonso put Chelsea on the right track to a big win.
In the second half, Chelsea showed their dominance by extending their lead to an enormous 5-0 win. And so, Everton were left wondering what had gone wrong. Chelsea has an imperious defense record, conceding 0 goals over their last five Premier League fixtures.
And so, Everton extended their no-win streak at Stamford Bridge to 22 games over 22 years.
Our readers picked their top three players as part of the Chelsea squad player ratings.
Hazard:
Rating: 9.83
The Belgian wonder takes top spot, and who can actually argue? With two goals to his name, and an assist for Pedro’s goal, Hazard is announcing himself as an early contender for PFA player of the year. With seven goals and one assist in fourteen games so far this season he’s clearly put last season’s worries behind him. Boy it’s good to have him back!
Pedro:
Rating: 9.05
After last season’s woes, a lot of pundits wrote off the previous Barcelona man due to poor performances. This season, not quite. With five assists and two goals to his name so far, he’s cemented his place in the starting eleven under Conte. The switch to a 3-4-3 formation seems to have favored his ability to play through a more central area. This early form seems to announce a breakout season for the Spanish international who’s relishing the prospect of a full season of first team football.
Costa:
Rating: 9.03
DIEEGOO, DIEEGOOO, DIEEGOOO. The crowd chants as Costa smashed in his 9th goal of the season. It was a predatory shot from a corner rebound, a fitting goal to show the diversity of skills boasted by the Spanish bulldozer. In the past weeks, he’s scored the poacher efforts, opportunistic strikes, and the occasional spectacular shot. He’s currently leaging the EPL scoring charts. Costa seems to be set for another season amongst the world’s greatest strikers. Let’s just hope he manages to stay healthy!
Remaining ratings:
Thibaut Courtois: 7.36
Cesar Azpilicueta: 7.94
David Luiz: 8.18
Gary Cahill: 7.91
Marco Alonso: 8.82
Victor Moses: 8.66
Ngolo Kante: 8.41
Nemanja Matic: 8.47
Oscar: 6.68
John Terry: 6.65
Michy Batshuay: 6.61
Any thoughts on the ratings? Let us know below, and make sure to rate your team next game!