Chelsea: Full Report Card for Every Position for November
As we enter December, Chelsea remain unbeaten in all competitions.
That's 20 games this season, of which just five have been drawn.
Jose Mourinho's side are on a phenomenal run of form right now, and they are looking strong to compete on all fronts this term.
November was another good month for Chelsea as they continued to reign supreme at the top of the Premier League, while also sealing qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League, winning their group.
Chelsea scored 12 goals, conceding just three in their six games.
Now that the month is out, Bleacher Report looks back at the best performers in every position.
Goalkeepers
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Thibaut Courtois: B
He's ousted Petr Cech as Chelsea's No. 1 goalkeeper, and right now, Thibaut Courtois is showing why Mourinho was right to have so much faith in his ability.
The Belgian has hardly put a foot wrong all season, and November was another good month for him.
Courtois appeared five times for the Blues, conceding just twice against QPR and Liverpool in the Premier League.
He looks assured and has added an extra calmness to the Chelsea rearguard.
He's a dominant force in the box.
Petr Cech: C
When you're not getting games, it's difficult for any player to make his mark and showcase his ability.
With Courtois ahead of him in the pecking order, things don't look like they will improve soon for Cech, unless he moves away from Stamford Bridge.
He featured just once last month, appearing in the 1-1 Champions League draw away to Maribor.
Cech made some good saves that night, too, and few goalkeepers would have been able to prevent Agim Ibraimi's wonderful strike that put the home team ahead before they were pegged back.
Defenders
2 of 4
Cesar Azpilicueta: B
That Cesar Azpilicueta continues to keep Filipe Luis on the bench outlines what a season he is having.
Ashley Cole has gone, replaced by a £16 million signing, but it's business as usual for the Spaniard.
It was the same in November, with Azpilicueta putting in some solid displays against the likes of Liverpool, where he got the assist for Diego Costa's winner that day.
Defensively able, he is also a threat on the flank for this Chelsea team.
Gary Cahill: B+
Englishman Gary Cahill continues to defy the odds in a Chelsea shirt.
It's easy to forget he cost the club just £7 million almost three years ago, and he has flourished under the Stamford Bridge spotlight.
Chelsea remain resolute at the back because of his partnership with John Terry—and don't be fooled—Cahill is just as much a part of that as the Chelsea captain.
John Terry: B+
The Chelsea captain will turn 34 this Sunday (Dec. 7), but you wouldn't know it.
While the football public is waiting for the time he will hang up his boots, Terry continues to show why he has been so highly rated and valued at Stamford Bridge for over a decade.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea's clash with Tottenham Hotspur this week, Mourinho was asked if Terry would be awarded a new contract at the end of the season.
"He knows what I think of him," was the manager's response.
Indeed, he does. After another fine November, Terry is as vital now as he's ever been.
Branislav Ivanovic: B-
It's being hypercritical of Branislav Ivanovic to suggest he underachieved in November, but that's more to do with the high standards he has set this season, rather than a lack of ability.
The Serbian's performance level dropped slightly last month, meaning he wasn't as much of a threat going forward in the way he has been in the earlier stages of the campaign.
Defensively, though, he is as strong as ever and fully deserves his place in Mourinho's team.
Filipe Luis: C
The Brazilian has a lot to do if he is to become the first-choice left-back at Chelsea.
Right now, he's the back-up to Azpilicueta, and his performances in a Chelsea shirt show Mourinho is right to have adopted that outlook.
Luis is still settling into English football, so he doesn't quite look the force we saw at Atletico Madrid.
In the two games he played in November, Chelsea conceded in both. That's not all down to him, but it equally suggests the defensive four isn't as solid with him playing.
Kurt Zouma: C
He's not long turned 20, so we can expect Kurt Zouma will continue to endure peaks and troughs when it comes to his performance level.
The Frenchman is still learning, and while his progress is encouraging, he needs to show more dominance and control than he did in his sole game in November against Maribor last month.
Until that game, Zouma hadn't looked a youngster. He came with an air of authority, but the Slovenians exposed him, and he knows he needs to do more.
Midfielders
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Forget the goals of Costa, Cesc Fabregas has been the signing of the season for Chelsea, if not the Premier League.
November was another excellent month for the Spaniard, as he continued to help Mourinho implement the impressive style of play currently on show at Stamford Bridge.
Without Fabregas, Chelsea wouldn't operate the way they have been, and even when struggling for fitness against Liverpool, he controlled the pace of the game and was influential in victory.
Nemanja Matic: A
Right now, Nemanja Matic is running Fabregas close for a Player of the Year nomination at Chelsea.
If the award was decided before Christmas, it would be between the pair who operate in the midfield pivot.
Matic is a master at breaking up play and protecting the Chelsea rearguard. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better player in his position in the Premier League.
Not only that, the past month or so has shown what a threat Matic can be in the opposition half. He's getting more involved in attacks, and against Maribor, he scored the vital equaliser that saved Chelsea's blushes in the 1-1 draw.
Eden Hazard: B+
The Belgian is firmly in his groove this season and is a major threat for Chelsea going forward. He terrorizes defences and his linkup play with Fabregas is breathtaking at times.
He needs to rediscover that scoring touch, though. Hazard scored just twice in November, and for a player of his ability, that isn't good enough.
Hazard has hopes of emulating the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Until he becomes more ruthless than he already is, that will not happen.
Oscar: B+
Like Hazard, Oscar is getting into his groove for Chelsea. Indeed, now we're seeing the player from this stage last season when he was excellent in a Chelsea shirt.
He disappeared after Christmas, but post-World Cup, he has returned.
November has been his best month this season. Not only is Oscar showing his capabilities defensively, helping implement Chelsea's approach of pressing high up the pitch but he is beginning to find the back of the net.
His goal against QPR in the 2-1 win at the beginning of the month was exquisite.
Willian: B-
The Brazilian is repeating his form from last season, when he started slow only to become a regular ahead of Christmas.
November was a good month for Willian as he re-established himself in attacking midfield alongside Hazard and Oscar.
He started five of the six matches played, and his work ethic is something to be marveled, constantly chasing lost causes and pressing high up the pitch.
Andre Schurrle: D
A World Cup winner in the summer with Germany, Andre Schurrle has come crashing back down to Earth this season.
November was a poor month for the German as he attempted to recover from an illness. He started just one match—against Maribor, when he was hauled off at half-time—and in total, he completed just 74 minutes of action.
When he did play, Schurrle offered little as the effects of his illness took hold.
Now back fit and ready, he'll be hoping for a better December.
Strikers
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Diego Costa: B+
It's as though the season has restarted for the Spanish international after he missed much of October with a hamstring injury.
Costa has had to rediscover much more than fitness, though, with his form being impacted on the back of the time he had off.
He scored just twice in November, despite having opportunities to add to that tally.
Now, let's not get carried away and suggest he has been poor, but he will be disappointed with that return given he started every game in November other than the 1-1 draw with Maribor.
What hasn't changed for Costa is his ability to get into dangerous positions and also score when his team needs a goal.
Without the distraction of international football, we can expect his prolific streak to return soon—if he can avoid needless suspensions like the one picked up against Sunderland.
Didier Drogba: C
When Costa was nursing injury in October, Didier Drogba was excellent for Chelsea. He led the line with aplomb and helped the team through a potentially difficult spell.
With Costa back, Drogba's playing time was reduced significantly in November, hence impacting his influence on the team.
Whether starting matches or coming off the bench, the Ivorian continues to look a threat, though.
Loic Remy: D
When Loic Remy appeared from the bench against West Bromwich Albion on Nov. 22, that marked his first appearance for a month.
We hadn't seen him in a Chelsea shirt since his opening goal in the 6-0 rout of Maribor, injuring himself in the process of scoring that goal.
He's back fit again, though, and with fixture congestion up ahead, we can expect to see a lot more from him throughout December—and for his report card to improve significantly.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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