Fulham 0-1 Chelsea Player Ratings: Mount saves Lampard's job
Frank Lampard would have breathed a sigh of relief after watching his Chelsea side struggle to a 1-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The Blues eased past Morecambe 4-0 in the FA Cup last weekend, but their Premier League woes threatened to continue against a local rival.
Fulham were an opponent they were expected to shrug off. Not only did the Cottagers come into this game in the relegation zone, but they were a squad ravaged by Covid-19.
And the hosts nearly got a share of the points, despite being reduced to 10 men as Antonee Robinson was sent off in the first half, only to be foiled late on.
Fulham 0-1 Chelsea: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats
So who were the Chelsea heroes and who should have played better?
✔️ GOOD PERFORMANCE
Mason Mount 8.4
The England midfielder was Chelsea's shining offensive light so it was fitting the he got what proved to be the decisive goal of the game. He pounced on an error from Alphonse Areola to drill a right-footed shot into the bottom corner.
Prior to that moment, he had been the foremost of the Blues' attacking midfielders and at least carried much menace in his play. Indeed, he came closest to breaking the deadlock as he hit the woodwork in the first half.
He ended the game playing in a deeper role and had an influential performance in the anchoring role. He recovered possession five times and won eight of 14 duels.
Antonio Rudiger 8.0
It was a relatively comfortable evening for the Chelsea rearguard on the whole, with the exception of a couple of dangerous breaks in the first half and a misunderstanding between Cesar Azpilicueta and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy in the second.
Rudiger, though, made it look easy. He won his only tackle, two of three aerial duels and four of his five duels. He made more than 100 passes with a 91% completion rate.
✖ BAD PERFORMANCE
Olivier Giroud 5.7
Preferred in attack to Tammy Abraham, the France forward failed to justify his selection. Admittedly, he was left isolated for long periods of the match and had a poor supply.
However, when he got into good areas, he was wasteful. He notably fired wide when given a clear sight on goal 18 yards out, although his blushes were spared by the linesman's flag subsequently going up.
He had only 19 touches before going off after 75 minutes.
⭐ STAR MAN
Thiago Silva 8.4
What a signing Thiago Silva has been for Chelsea! Once again, the Brazil centre-back gave a demonstration of his class, oozing calm in everything he did.
At the back, he was virtually unbeatable. He won his only tackle as well as 60% of his duels both in the air and on the ground. Furthermore, he completed four clearances.
He made a game-high 121 passes with a success rate of 94%, including 18 into the final third.
While others may have been more spectacular, Thiago Silva was faultless.
Fulham 0-1 Chelsea: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats