It's no secret that Chelsea have been the best side in the Premier League, and a match up against Tottenham at White Hart Lane would test how good this team really is. Chelsea's football has been nothing except brilliant this year and it continued today; a full on team effort led to a 4-2 victory for the blues. With great performers all around let's take a look how each player contributed.
GK Petr Cech: 8.5
Petr Cech made many unbelievable saves today, but still his hands are not what they used to be and it showed when he dropped a ball that could of lead to a Adebayor goal.
D Ashley Cole: 8.5
Look up consistency in the dictionary and you will find a picture of Ashley Cole. He is still the world's best Left Back. Cole struggled with Aaron Lennon's pace, but who doesn't.
D David Luiz: 8.5
Another absolute outstanding performance from David Luiz, he stopped many dangerous attacks and put his body on the line to block many shots. If it wasn't for a foul on Dempsey that led to a goal and a bit of confusion with Cech, it would have been practically flawless.
D Gary Cahill: 8.5
Cahill was very strong in defense and even scored a unbelievable volley, but at times was not successful in marking Jermaine Defoe, who grabbed a goal in the second half.
D Branislav Ivanovic: 8.0
Great defending from the Serbian, but with Gareth Bale not playing, he really didn't have much to do.
M John Obi Mikel: 9.5
John Obi Mikel could be the best defending midfielder in the world. He goes out every match and plays remarkable defense. Mikel sometimes single handily shuts down the whole middle of the field. He was a stonewall to Tottenham attackers who looked frightened to go at him. Mikel's passing may be the most underrated part of his game, as he fueled many of Chelsea's attacks today. It takes an elite attacking player to get past the Nigerian, and even then it isn't very easy. Mikel never gets any fame or credit for his play, but is definitely the most important player in this squad.
M Ramires: 8.0
Ramires isn't the same attacker he was last year, but still great in helping out Mikel in defending. He does however need to leave the flair to Oscar and Hazard.
M Eden Hazard: 9.0
Hazard continues to rack up the assists and show why he was such a expensive buy. Eden can get by any defender with pace and skill. His feet do things that only may be possible by him and Neymar. The youngster is making a great name for himself around the world. Tottenham had really no answer for him except to foul him.
M Oscar: 8.5
Oscar is finally looking completely comfortable in Premier League play. He controls the game with ease and uses his quick feet to find openings in play. The Brazilian seems to put every shot he takes on target. There were at least 3 shots by Oscar that troubled Brad Friedel in to making a save. He will have no problem scoring goals in England.
M Juan Mata: 9.5
There's really not words that can describe Juan Mata's play this season. You would think that he was just on a hot streak, but this may be the Mata we see week in and week out. He scored two lovely finishes against Tottenham and silenced White Hart Lane; but that wasn't everything; he also grabbed an assist to Danny Sturridge that finished off the match. There wasn't a single player for Spurs that could mark him, or even slow him down. Juan Mata is the clear front runner for player of the year in the Premiership.
F Fernando Torres: 8.5
Fernando Torres didn't score any goals, but played a great match. It is very clear that he has worked on his skill over the past off season, and he'll need it with the pace he lost from his past injuries. Fernando came close to scoring at the end of the match but sent it a foot wide. Not a miss but something that he is capable of finishing. All around good outing by the Spaniard
M Frank Lampard: 8.0
Came on for less than 5 minutes, to bring veteran leadership; and well, we got the win.
F Daniel Sturridge: 8.5
Sturridge finally made his way back on to the pitch after missing 6 matches and he didn't disappoint. Daniel always seems to find a way to score, and in his 15 minute cameo that's exactly what he did. Torres has played well but Sturridge deserves a chance to prove himself with his scoring prowess, and with Torres needing rest that's exactly what he is going to get. We could have a Center Forward battle on our hands.
Man of the Match: John Obi Mikel
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