Chelsea: Full Report Card for Every Position for September
Chelsea continued their unbeaten start to the season into September, and they now sit three points clear at the top of the Premier League while also topping their Champions League group after a 1-0 win over Sporting Lisbon.
Jose Mourinho rotated his squad for several games throughout September, handing opportunities to players who were not afforded any game time in August. Ahead of the second international break of the season, Mourinho will want to assess his squad and may even assign grades to them in a similar way to this report card.
Grades are assigned to players who were involved in any of the matches over September and are based on contributions in those games. Goals and assists are weighted higher for defenders and substitutes, and players who are able to cover more than one position are placed where they are likely to make the most appearances throughout the season. Players who are yet to make even a cameo appearance have been assigned a ‘U’ for ‘ungraded’ with a brief report on their prospects for the rest of the season. Statistics are from WhoScored.com
Goalkeepers
1 of 7
Thibaut Courtois
Appearances: 5
Goals Conceded: 4
Grade: A-
Thibaut Courtois started all but one of Chelsea’s matches in September and kept two clean sheets. He was left exposed at times by the high defensive line in front of him but is steadily settling in to his role as Chelsea’s new No.1 keeper.
Petr Cech
Appearances: 1
Goals Conceded: 1
Grade: B
Petr Cech made his first start of the season in the Capital One Cup against Bolton Wanderers and managed to look like he had never been away. Despite this, Courtois’ consistency will continue to limit the Czech’s chances to cameo cup appearances.
Mark Schwarzer
Appearances: 0
Grade: U
Mark Schwarzer is yet to make an appearance for the Blues this season and with Cech more than capable of deputising for Courtois, it is highly unlikely that we will see the Australian in goal anytime soon.
Right-Backs
2 of 7
Branislav Ivanovic
Appearances: 5
Grade: A
Branislav Ivanovic was rested for the Capital One Cup tie against Bolton but otherwise started every game for the Blues in September. His best performance of the month came against Aston Villa where he made two key passes and three effective clearances.
Ivanovic’s position in the team has been virtually guaranteed so far, but the competition between Cesar Azpilicueta and Filipe Luis at left-back could put his starting spot in jeopardy.
Cesar Azpilicueta
Appearances: 4
Assists: 1
Grade: A
Cesar Azpilicueta showed his versatility in September as he was called upon to replace the rested Ivanovic at right-back against Bolton. WhoScored awarded him Man of the Match for his performance against Aston Villa, which saw him make his first assist of the season with a fine cross, as well as completing five tackles.
He is under pressure from Filipe Luis for his spot at left-back, but his ability to play equally well in either full-back position should see him making regular starts for the rest of the season.
Centre-Backs
3 of 7
John Terry
Appearances: 5
Goals Conceded: 4
Grade: B+
John Terry might be getting on a bit but his performances so far this season haven’t shown it. The 33-year-old played all but one game in September, sitting out the Capital One Cup tie with Bolton to allow Kurt Zouma to make his full debut, and has made an average of 5.8 clearances per game since the start of the season. Having ironed out the issues with the high defensive line that were highlighted in the 4-2 win over Swansea, Terry will continue to play regularly for the rest of the season.
Gary Cahill
Appearances: 6
Goals Conceded: 5
Grade: A-
Gary Cahill is the only Chelsea player to have appeared in every game so far this season and saved his best performance for last. Against Sporting Lisbon, Cahill made 10 effective clearances to bring his average for the season to 6.6 per game. Although the international break is unlikely to afford him an opportunity to rest, it is hard to see Cahill losing his spot as Mourinho’s first-choice centre-back any time soon.
Kurt Zouma
Appearances: 1
Goals Conceded: 1
Grade: A
Kurt Zouma made his full debut for Chelsea against Bolton Wanderers in the Capital One Cup, scoring the opening goal from a Loic Remy rebound. The 19-year-old is likely to be restricted to appearances in the cup competitions, but he certainly gave a good enough account of himself to make Mourinho consider him for selection.
Andreas Christensen
Appearances: 0
Grade: U
Andreas Christensen is yet to make an appearance for the Blues this season but could be afforded an opportunity if they wrap up Champions League qualification with a game to spare.
Left-Backs
4 of 7
Filipe Luis
Appearances: 3
Grade: B
Filipe Luis has been rewarded for his patience with a start in each of the Champions League group games so far. He has averaged five tackles and 2.5 interceptions per game, and could challenge Cesar Azpilicueta for the first-choice left-back spot sooner rather than later.
Nathan Ake
Appearances: 1
Grade: B+
Nathan Ake made his first start of the season against Bolton and displayed a maturity in his performance. Ake’s versatility makes it likely that he will get a few more chances as the season progresses, but the competition in both of his positions will likely limit him to the domestic cups.
Midfielders
5 of 7
Appearances: 5
Goals/Assists: 1/3
Grade: A+
Cesc Fabregas continued his excellent start to his Chelsea career in September, scoring his first goal for the club and assisting a further three. His vision and range of passing has added an extra element of quality to the midfield, and he has made himself indispensable by linking up well with his international colleague Diego Costa.
Nemanja Matic
Appearances: 5+1
Goals/Assists: 1/0
Grade: A
Nemanja Matic had a bit of a nightmare against Manchester City when he was consistently caught out too high up the pitch. However, this was the only blot on an otherwise impressive month which saw him score his second goal of the season while making an average of four tackles per game.
Ramires
Appearances: 2+1
Goals/Assists: 0/1
Grade: B
Ramires’ contributions throughout September were limited by injury, but his introduction against Swansea City at the beginning of the month changed the game. Before halftime, the Blues had been struggling to find the balance between a high pressing line and a strong defence, but the Brazilian allowed them to press forward without leaving the back four too exposed.
John Obi Mikel
Appearances: 1+3
Goals/Assists: 0/0
Grade: C
Mikel was handed his first start of the season against Bolton Wanderers but has seen his involvement limited by the strength of the pairing between Matic and Fabregas. However, he will still have a role to play when Mourinho needs to deploy the "park the bus" tactic.
Attacking Midfielders
6 of 7
Appearances: 5+1
Goals/Assists: 0/2
Grade: A-
Eden Hazard has been relishing the reduction in responsibility that the arrival of Diego Costa has brought to his game. Rather than shooting on sight every time, Hazard has been allowed to work on his creative game and has completed an average of 5.3 dribbles in each of his appearances so far. His performance dropped off against Aston Villa, but his work-rate has made him virtually indispensable on the left of the attack.
Andre Schurrle
Appearances: 5
Goals/Assists: 1/0
Grade: B
Andre Schurrle has been inconsistent for Chelsea so far this season, and was hauled off at half time in the 4-2 win over Swansea City. However, despite his profligate shooting, he has become a useful impact substitute, and he is likely to keep his role as part of the attacking rotation after the international break.
Oscar
Appearances: 4+1
Goals/Assists: 2/1
Grade: A-
Oscar has recovered from a disappointing start to the season to score two goals in September. He has also averaged 2.4 shots and 1.9 key passes per game, as well as his usual high number of tackles at 2.2 per game. Despite doubts about his condition early on, Oscar looks to have secured his No. 10 role for now.
Willian
Appearances: 3+1
Goals/Assists: 1/1
Grade: A
Willian's performances have made it clear that he intends to compete for his place in the starting XI by complementing his attacking contribution of 1.3 key passes per game with the same average number of tackles. He will continue to play a part in the regular rotation of the attacking trio, most likely alternating with Schurrle for the starting spot.
Mohamed Salah
Appearances: 1
Grade: C
Mohamed Salah has been restricted to cameo appearances of a few minutes, but started the match against Bolton. Although he impressed enough to play 80 minutes, he is unlikely to break into the starting XI this season.
Strikers
7 of 7
Diego Costa
Appearances: 4+1
Goals: 4
Grade: A+
Diego Costa has been suffering from a hamstring injury since arriving at Chelsea. Jose Mourinho has said that he is hopeful that Costa will be allowed to remain with the club during the international break, per The Independent's Simon Rice, to help him improve his fitness. Despite that, he has scored eight goals in six Premier League appearances, including a hat-trick against Swansea City.
Loic Remy
Appearances: 1+3
Goals: 1
Grade: B+
Loic Remy scored on his debut after coming off the bench against Swansea at the beginning of September. He made his first start for the club against Bolton but has so far been restricted to replacing Costa for the closing stages of games. However, he has already proven to be a much better backup striker than Fernando Torres was for the Blues.
Didier Drogba
Appearances: 1+2
Goals: 0
Grade: C-
Didier Drogba has yet to score since returning to Chelsea this summer, and an aggravating ankle injury will see him sidelined for a few more weeks. His age and fitness will ensure that his sphere of influence is tilted towards the dressing room rather than the pitch.
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