Chelsea player ratings vs AC Milan: Liam Delap and Joao Pedro hand Enzo Maresca selection headache

Yahoo

3 days ago

Chelsea ended their pre-season preparations with a resounding 4-1 win over AC Milan on Sunday afternoon.
The Blues raced into a two-goal lead inside eight minutes as Andrei Coubis, on his first start for AC Milan, netted an own goal from Reece James' inswinging free-kick. Joao Pedro then doubled the hosts' lead with a stooped header three minutes later.
Things went from bad to worse for Milan and Coubis in the 18th minute as the young defender saw red for bringing down Pedro as he threatened to break through on goal.
Milan grew in confidence after half-time, but found themselves further behind after Liam Delap scored from the penalty spot.
The visitors deservedly got a goal back as Youssouf Fofana fired in from close range, but Chelsea added another through Delap in stoppage time to cap another comfortable victory.
Sam Tabuteau was on hand to rate the Chelsea players at Stamford Bridge...
Robert Sanchez 6
The Spaniard didn't have much to do, but he made his presence felt in the area, batting away a couple of dangerous Milan crosses. Survived a shaky moment as Rafael Leao failed to finish after taking the ball around the Chelsea 'keeper.
Reece James 8
Very few players can come close to replicating what James does from set-pieces. A wicked inswinging delivery from the right-back set Chelsea on their way as Milan debutant Coubis could only put through his own net. Made a vital challenge in his own box to prevent Milan from getting a goal back.
Trevoh Chalobah 6
Chalobah always provides a threat from set-pieces, and his presence pressed Coubis into the mistake from which Chelsea took the lead. Came off injured in the second-half to add to the Blues' defensive woes.
Tosin Adarabioyo 7
Made an excellent recovery to pick the ball away after he slipped near his own area. A composed performance from the 27-year-old, whose importance is growing game by game, in light of Chelsea's injury issues.
Marc Cucurella 7
Everything that makes Cucurella such a vital part of Maresca's side was summed up in first-half added time, when he attacked a loose ball in the area before quickly jumping into a challenge to win the ball back and create a shooting opportunity for Palmer.
Moises Caicedo 7
Chelsea had the game all but settled inside 20 minutes, but still, Caicedo continued to put out fires for the hosts. Strong in the tackle and alert in the recovery. It was a textbook display from the Ecuadorian.
Enzo Fernandez 6
Kept things ticking in the middle of the park, but didn't break a sweat despite the sweltering conditions in west London.
Pedro Neto 7
Neto's output has improved dramatically under Maresca, enjoying his best goalscoring season to date last term. He grabbed another assist with a pinpoint cross for Pedro to head home.
Cole Palmer 7
Came close with a couple of wonderfully struck free-kicks. Having him and James on dead-ball responsibilities speaks to the abundance of riches at Chelsea's disposal.
Jamie Gittens 7
His direct running won the free-kick from which Chelsea took the lead. Showed glimpses off the bench against Bayer Leverkusen and built on that early promise with a productive performance on his first start for the Blues. Faded after Milan were reduced to 10 men.
Joao Pedro 9
The Brazilian can't stop scoring. He made it five goals in his first five Chelsea appearances as he headed home an inviting cross from Pedro Neto to double Chelsea's lead. It was a complete performance from Pedro, who made it an afternoon to forget for AC Milan debutant Andrei Coubis as he was given his marching orders for hauling down the Chelsea forward after 18 minutes.
Substitutes
Josh Acheampong 7
Made a superb diving block on the edge of his own box and got through a lot of running, tracking Milan's deep runs from midfield.
Malo Gusto 7
Helped support Estevao by getting the ball into the winger's feet at every opportunity. He played a lovely pass through the lines to set in motion the move that led to Delap's second goal.
Estevao 8
Loud cheers greeted the Brazilian's introduction, and he made an almost instant impact as he was pulled down at the back-post to hand Chelsea a penalty. The 18-year-old assumed corner duties when he came on, a sign of the confidence he has in himself, but also the confidence the club has in him.
Liam Delap 9
Dispatched his penalty with ease, having made the opportunity from which the referee awarded the spot-kick. He added another late on, finishing coolly from Santos' lay off. Anything Pedro can do, Delap can do too.
Andrey Santos 6
Teed up Delap for his second goal of the game in second-half added time. The Brazilian has all the traits to offer Chelsea plenty of value in attack and defence. However, as is the case with most positions at Chelsea, competition for minutes is high.
Dario Essugo 7
He looked comfortable coming on to replace Moises Caicedo in the last two games; a battling midfielder capable of receiving the ball under pressure, he looked assured even as Milan grew in confidence in the second-half.
Tyrique George 5
Another anonymous performance from George, who is struggling to make his voice heard amongst the swathes of attacking talent on display in west London.
Reggie Walsh 6
The 16-year-old Reggie Walsh is highly regarded at Chelsea. More first-team minutes for the teenager, who was included in the squad ahead of playing with the club's Under-21s this afternoon, tells you the esteem in which he is held.