Player Ratings for Chelsea vs. Manchester United

Over the weekend Chelsea were defeated by Referees United, I mean Manchester United, and tonight in a Capitol One Cup match-up  they got a shot at revenge.  It was well known that Roberto Di Matteo and Alex Ferguson were going to play reserves, and thankfully they were allowed substitutions.  Both sides showed their youth in the first half and also showed a bright future for the Blues.  The second half showed off better football with a high pace tempo and led to extra time.  Chelsea went on to win the match 5-4 and knocked United out of the Cup.  Let's take a look at how each player performed.

GK Petr Cech: 7.0

Cech made a few saves but also made one of the worst mistakes he has ever made since being at Chelsea, which led to a Ryan Giggs goal.  Also allowed 3 more, maybe not all his fault, but no where near his best.

D David Luiz: 7.0

David Luiz goes from brilliant to oblivious in seconds.  The Brazilian scored a wonderful penalty then his over-attacking led to the second United goal.  Then that was followed by a marvelous free kick that struck the crossbar.  David is still a work in progress, but if RDM figures out how to always get the brilliant side, then Chelsea will have something that special wouldn't begin to describe.

D Gary Cahill: 8.5

Chelsea fans think it will be impossible to replace John Terry, well they may have his twin.  Gary Cahill was a stone wall in defense and shows a brilliant knack for shutting down attacking runs.  He added another goal to his tally for the year from a great header.  Cahill may be England's best defender, and striker.

D Cesar Azpilicueta: 8.0

Chelsea just seem to be finding gems all over the world.  Azpi looked like a veteran in defense and showed his worth to Di Matteo.  He did a great job in manning the right wing and wasn't to bad in attack, his finishing however is another story.

D Ryan Bertrand: 8.5

When Ashley Cole missed matches three years ago, the left side looked like Goals Galore against Chelsea.  With Ryan Bertrand, it's hard to notice a difference.  Ashley Cole has clearly taught the youngster his mistake free football as Bertrand seems to go a whole match without making one.  Ryan handled the left side with perfection and made sure that no one could get passed him.  Maybe Chelsea management is on to something about not giving Cole a multi-year deal.

M Oriol Romeu: 7.5

Definitely one for the future.  Looks strong on the ball, but not quite there.

M John Obi Mikel: 8.0

Mikel was Mikel. He defended and kept possession. Subbed out in the second half.

M Juan Mata: 8.0

Looked a little tired throughout the match, but controlled the pace of play and did his usual business.  Nothing special compared to his recent games.

M Lucas Piazon: 6.5

Piazon is a brilliant footballer and has a bright career, but he is no where near ready.  He is very weak on the ball and acts like he doesn't even want it.  Bit of a disappointment after all the hype that surrounded him.  It could be 4 or 5 years before he is ready.

F Victor Moses: 8.5

Easily the most dangerous footballer throughout the whole match. He has a distinct power on the ball and doesn't give it up easily.  He drew a penalty and led many of the Chelsea attacks.  There is a good chance that a lot of playing time is headed his way.

F Daniel Sturridge: 8.0

Nervous in the first half, but showed his talent in extra time with the go ahead goal.

F Eden Hazard: 9.0

I wonder if Alex Ferguson still thinks Hazard isn't worth the money.  He came on in the second half and looked nothing less than spectacular.  Shredded through the United defense with silky skill and grabbed a goal on the last kick of regular time, something usually only made happen by a certain Ivorian in the past.  Eden however wasn't done, in extra time the Belgian worked his way through the United defense with a assist to Ramires and maybe broke the ankles of a few United defenders.  Easy to see why he has been compared to Lionel Messi.

M Oscar: 8.5

Oscar came on in the last third of regular time and made a immediate impact.  The Brazilian gives Chelsea a whole other dynamic with his passing and pure on the ball skill.  Created many of Chelsea's ladder attacks and controlled the pace during extra time.  It's very clear that Oscar makes the whole engine go.

M Ramires: 8.0

Came on for Mikel in the second half and grabbed the fifth and important goal with a lovely finish.

Man of the Match: Eden Hazard

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Chelsea's Top 5 January Transfer Targets

Ever since Roman Abramovich has come to Chelsea it has been no secret that he likes to make big name buys.  Even with the purchases of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Victor Moses it seems he isn't done for this season.  Chelsea have been the strongest side thus far in the Premier League but they will most likely make a big time transfer come January.  The biggest question mark seems to still be around Spanish striker Fernando Torres and even with 6 goals, his play must improve if he wants to keep his spot.  Daniel Sturridge is pushing him and Roman will most likely grab a forward in January.  All this being said let's look at Chelsea's most likely transfers to the club.

5.  Neymar | Forward | Santos

Easily the least likely transfer that would be made, but maybe the one that would work out the best for the club.  With Chelsea continuing to go after Brazilians and the chemistry that both David Luiz and Oscar have with Neymar, he could easily become the leagues most dangerous footballer.  Playing along with Juan Mata and Eden Hazard wouldn't hurt as well.

4.  Sergio Ramos | Defender | Real Madrid

The transfer of Sergio Ramos all depends on the validity of the reports of John Terry heading to Valencia.  If Terry somehow ends up surprising everyone and leaves, this transfer could be as good as done.  Even if Terry stays at Chelsea for one or two more seasons, this is still a likely transfer.  Ramos could be the world's best defender behind Thiago Silva and if he isn't happy, he will demand a transfer.  Roman has shown interest in the Spanish defender and if given the chance will most likely scoop him up.

3.  Marouane Fellaini | Midfielder | Everton

Fellaini could be the best addition Chelsea could make with Frank Lampard going down injured early in the week.  It was thought last year that Fellaini was already bought by Chelsea but it turned out otherwise.  He is the most certain target for Chelsea in January and would most likely have no problems fitting in.  Look for Roman to be putting in bids for the Belgian midfielder.

2. Radamel Falcao | Forward | Atletico Madrid

Easily the most talked about transfer target to be linked with Chelsea.  Roman has already confirmed he is going to be bidding on Falcao and trying to bring him to the Bridge.  Falcao is certainly a great scorer, but he could bring chemistry problems by causing the exile of Fernando Torres, from a forward in the same stage of his career.  A big gamble to make that could come up very ugly or very successful.

1. Romelu Lukaku | Forward | West Brom

Yes, Lukaku is technically a Chelsea player out on loan, but he could be the key to the whole puzzle.  It is still very clear that most of Chelsea's squad is still used to having a elite aerial threat up front such as Didier Drogba. Romelu is almost a mirror image of Chelsea Legend Drogba and could be the most physically dominant forward Chelsea has ever possessed.  Lukaku in his time at West Brom has looked more than dangerous every time he is on the ball and this is with a less than stellar team.  Yes, he is young but he is close to finally being an elite forward.  Put him in front of the likes of Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar, and you could quickly have the most dangerous striker in the world.  He is allowed to come back in January, by leaving his loan move early.  Maybe a little of a gamble giving him the position so early but definitely brings the biggest pay off.

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Player Ratings for Chelsea vs. Tottenham

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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Radamel Falcao: The Chemistry Killer

Reports have surfaced the last couple weeks that Chelsea Owner Roman Abramovich plans to buy Atletico Madrid Forward, Radamel Falcao, in the coming January transfer market.  Chelsea supporters are torn on rather if they should support this purchase or be opposed.  The answer is simple, and it is to oppose. Chelsea already have a better striker in their possession and have no need for Falcao.

Coming into this year all the marbles were given to Fernando Torres, and he has answered the call.  He has scored 7 goals already including two against top clubs, Newcastle and Arsenal.  The assumption that Falcao will score more than Torres is absolutely absurd.  Torres fits this new Chelsea and Falcao clearly doesn't.  Ever since Oscar has entered the starting lineup, Chelsea have looked the most formidable side in the Premier League, and that attack is led by Fernando Torres.

Radamel Falcao has a certain playing style that isn't common with center forwards.  He loves to have the ball and wants it at all times.  With the midfield combo of Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Oscar, he simply won't fit.  Mata, Hazard and Oscar all require more possession than anyone on the pitch, and they love to pass it between each other.  Bring Falcao in and the chemistry in the midfield could be torn apart.  Chelsea's midfield monster's require a one touch finisher and that is exactly what Torres is.  He loves to hit shots first touch or take a simple touch to find a shot.  Falcao will not fit at Chelsea and Roman Abramovich will make a huge mistake in buying him.  This purchase could jeopardize the career of all of Chelsea's forwards and also the lovely football the whole squad has been playing this year.  The Blues are a happy family at the moment and Falcao could tear it all apart.

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Player Ratings for Chelsea vs. Norwich City

Chelsea looked to retain the top spot on the Barclays Premier League table on Saturday, in a match up against Norwich City, and that's exactly what they did.  If you were waiting for a match to show off all the "New" Chelsea has to offer, this was the match to watch.  The midfield trio of Hazard, Mata, and Oscar were firing on all cylinders and absolutely smothered possession.  Easy win for the Blues with a 4-1 scoreline, lets take a look at how each footballer performed.

GK Petr Cech: 7.5

Good performance out of Cech, came through when called upon, but let in a goal.

D Ashley Cole: 8.0

Typical Ashley Cole performance; didn't let anyone by and was great in attack.  Looked likely to score throughout the whole match.

D John Terry: 7.5

With the FA controversy still looming the captain put in a pretty good performance, but didn't look 100% and it showed on Norwich's only goal.

D David Luiz: 7.5

David Luiz looked sort of disinterested in the first half but came out in the second half to show his world class defending and attacking.

D Branislav Ivanovic: 8.5

Great performance from the Serbian, was brilliant in defense.  Ivanovic also scored a delicious volley in the second half adding to the assist on Fernando Torres's goal.  Hard to see Azpi get any playing time with the way Ivanovic is playing.

M Frank Lampard: 8.0

Vintage Frank Lampard performance, including a vintage Frank Lampard strike from outside the penalty area.  By far the Englishman's best performance of the season.  Hard to see him push permanently back into a starting role though with his lack of defending.

M John Obi Mikel: 8.0

Mikel was, well Mikel today, nothing really special, but still a great performance.  He quietly goes about his business and is a stonewall in defense.

M Juan Mata: 9.0

Easily in the best form of any footballer in the world, his last five performances have been close to perfect. He was strong in every attack vs Norwich and was a nightmare for defenders.  Every touch and pass is put exactly where he wants it and he is doing whatever he feels like at the moment.  Dictates play like no one else in the Premier League and it is an embarrassment that he is not getting called to International duty.

M Oscar: 8.0

Oscar gives a dynamic to Chelsea that Blues supporters have never seen.  He is very skillful and his touch lands wherever he wants it to, a prime example of "Brazilian Football."  He wove through Norwich defenders like they were just traffic cones and looked likely to score all match.  The youngster is still figuring out the Premier League and it's not going to take him very long.

M Eden Hazard: 8.5

Juan Mata really is overshadowing the performance of Eden Hazard.  The Belgium international showed why he is dubbed to be the "Next Messi."  Hazard scored a lovely finesse shot on a ball from Juan Mata, that was struck with perfection.  Agent Hazard also clearly drew two penalties, but the ref thought otherwise.  It really is looking like Hazard is being marked by refs as a diver, but they all will realize their mistakes when they see the replays.

F Fernando Torres: 7.5

Fernando Torres found the back of the net with a thumping header in the first half to start the Chelsea out-pour of goals, but he should have netted 2 or 3 more.  Torres still doesn't seem to be fully confident in his shots and from time to time it shows.  At the moment you don't know what Torres will come out when he receives a chance at goal.

D Cesar Azpilcueta: 7.0

Came on for his first Premier League action, had a lot of first touch nerves but looked good.

M Ramires: 7.5

Came on for Frank Lampard and bolstered up the defense to end out the match.

M Oriol Romeu: 7.0

Came on for Mikel for ten minutes and got a shot off, but really didn't see much action.

Man of the Match: Juan Mata

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Fernando Torres Lost Against Lesser Competition

It can definitely be said that Fernando Torres is back in his old form, but at the moment, only in big matches.  Beginning this year "El Nino" was finally to be looked upon to handle most of the scoring load at Chelsea, and against the bigger clubs he has dominated play.  When Chelsea came up against Arsenal and Newcastle in early season play, he found the back of the net and contributed throughout the whole match.  When Juventus came to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea in their Champions League opener, Torres may not have scored but he certainly played a spectacular match.  It certainly is a big plus that Fernando is coming up in the big matches, but the big time scorers make their names and rack up the most goals against the lesser clubs.

Torres seems sometimes lost and not interested against clubs that aren't of the Blues caliber.  He doesn't look for his own shot and isn't aggressive.  Although younger players are usually given more opportunities in these types of matches and need to get their possession, Torres needs to start being a little more selfish and add to his scoring tally.  All elite strikers are selfish and look for a shot more than they look for a pass and Fernando needs to assert himself more against lower competitors   As the QPR/Man City match that decided the Premier League title showed, these matches can be the deciding factor in a season and Torres needs to lead the charge no matter who the opposition is.

There is no question that Torres has showed he can fit in at Chelsea and bring a Premiership title to the Bridge.  It can finally be said that El Nino has the full trust of the Blues faithful going forward.

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