Chelsea player ratings: Christensen fails to prove why he should start for Sarri as Giroud shows he's still got it

Pedro, Willian and Callum Hudson-Odoi scored for the Blues during the first leg of the Europa League clash.

Kepa

Most presumed Willy Caballero would start after Maurizio Sarri suggested he would, but instead Kepa was given the nod.

It would have made little difference if Eden Hazard had played between the sticks, so little did the Blues keeper have to do.

Zappacosta

Should have had an assist to his name when his first-half cross deflected into Pedro’s path six yards out but the jet-heeled winger fired his shot straight at the keeper

Andreas Christensen

The young Dane has been left frustrated by his lack of opportunities under Sarri but his sloppiness in possession will not have convinced his manager that he deserves more Premier League action.

David Luiz

All physicality and finesse. Left Kiev striker Nazariy Rusyn feeling bruised with some rough treatment and played a defence-splitting pass through for Pedro in the first half which the Spaniard could not finish.

Marcos Alonso

Emerson has been preferred in the last three games and Alonso, who has failed to hit the heights of last season, can have few complaints.

Did little wrong but not much more than that to reclaim his Prem spot from the Italian.

Jorginho

Sarri’s favourite son was solid if unspectacular – although he did fire one loose pass straight out of play.

The Italian still has much to do to justify taking N’Golo Kante’s spot in defensive-midfield but he did little wrong here.

Ross Barkley

Shuttled around midfield industriously and tried to break into the box when he could.

An exquisite turn early on bamboozled Kiev defender Serhiy Sydorchuk into conceding a corner.

Matteo Kovacic

The Croatian went into this match on 101 games for club and country without a goal.

And given how loath he is to take a shot it feels like that he could well reach 201 at this rate.

Neat in his passing, as always, though.

Willian

Killed off the game where his team-mate Pedro could not with a breathtaking free-kick midway through the second half. It was almost a carbon copy of the Brazilian’s stunning set-piece winner against Kiev at Stamford Bridge in 2015.

Giroud

Showed he still has a touch of class with his easy-on-the-eye assist for Pedro’s early opener.

An inventive backheel through Artem Shabanov’s legs put through the winger who did the rest.

Pedro

Took his goal well with a delightful link-up with Giroud but should have put Chelsea out of sight by half-time. The ex-Barcelona man wasted a great chance from the six-yard area and then failed to beat the keeper when racing onto Luiz’s stunning pass.

Subs

Ruben Loftus-Cheek (for Ross Barkley)

Slipped as he shot when played through by Pedro but picked up a late assist by squaring for Hudson-Odoi to hit a third.

N’Golo Kante (for Jorginho)

Received a big cheer from the Chelsea crowd as he came on for the man who nicked his defensive-midfield slot just after the hour.

Callum Hudson-Odoi (for Willian)

Wrapped up the win in style by curling into the corner, wrapping up a very satisfactory night indeed for Sarri’s side.

 

 

 

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