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Chelsea 3-0 AFC Bournemouth, Player Ratings: The Hazard and Pedro show

Clive Rose/Getty Images

1. EDEN HAZARD 9.3
Minutes played90+
Touches87
Passes48/56
Shots2*/5
Take-ons13/15
Fouls drawn5
Tackles3
Eden Hazard had been slowed by a couple nagging injuries and knocks and other little things that are par for the course as the Premier League's most fouled player — 59 through 17 appearances, 9 more than second place Wilfried Zaha — but it looks like that day off against Sunderland was beneficial.  His fifth Man of the Match of the season, and the first since the 5-0 against Everton.

Hazard was asked to play as a center forward in this one, and while that particular facet of his game wasn't exactly stellar, Chelsea managed to get by just fine with Hazard being an excellent version of his usual self — he even led the team in touches, which is surprising given the presence of Fàbregas — and the other two inside forwards doing their general best as well.  This may not work against all opponents, but against the non-busparking Bournemouth, it was more than good enough.

2. PEDRO 9.2
Minutes played90
Touches59
Passes33/41
Shots1*/5
Take-ons5/5
Block+INT+RECs9
A bit unfortunate for Mr. Pedrito that both times he's had a lights out game this season, Hazard has decided to have one that was just a bit more lights out at the same time.  It's a wonder anyone could see on Monday, really.

Pedro's 9.2 is just a touch below the 9.3 he got for the 5-0 against Everton.  While there may be a bit of recency bias at work here, I'd argue that Pedro was even more impressive in this game, more influential in a sense, with the rest of the team not quite clicking to the same extent as against Everton, when every single little part was clicking, thus making Pedro's contributions even more vital.

3. THIBAUT COURTOIS 8.5
Minutes played90
Touches27
Distribution12/23
Saves3
Courtois hasn't had much to do for most of the season with Chelsea working very well to limit the opposition's shot numbers — this is his third highest rated match of the season, for example — but when he's had to do it, he's done it rather excellently.

While Chelsea were blowing teams away at the start of this now record winning streak, the last few have been closely contested affairs (at least on the scoreboard) and Courtois has been making crucial saves with regularity to preserve the three points and the plethora of clean sheets.  This one might have ended up a three-goal margin of victory, but Thibaut denied Wilshere what would've been an equalizer and then made an ever better save on Afobe that would've made it 2-1 with plenty of time remaining.

Meanwhile, Courtois's feet have been steadily improving and he's once again back to being a dominant aerial force in his own box.

STARTERS:
Courtois (8.5), Cahill (7.6), David Luiz (7.8), Azpilicueta (8.2), Alonso (7.4), Matić (7.5), Fàbregas (7.8), Moses (7.5), Pedro (9.2), Hazard (9.3), Willian (7.6)

SUBS:
Chalobah (6.8), Aina (6.4), Batshuayi (6.8)

OVERALL:

2016-17 player ratings - bournemouth h

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