1. REECE JAMES (8.2)

On this very day, December 7 last year, two days shy of his 20th birthday, Reece James was making his fourth ever Premier League start, as Chelsea traveled to Everton. We had high hopes for young Reece, but even amidst a Youth Revolution™, such things aren’t ever guaranteed. Fortunately, all Reece’s has done since is keep putting our concerns and fears to rest. In the calendar year 2020, since January 1st, he’s started all but seven of our league games, including the last six in a row. The heir to the right back throne has arrived. Bow down.

2. N’GOLO KANTÉ (8.1)

There were somewhat similar concerns over Kanté as well last season, also stemming in part from his age, but also the series of (minor) injuries that he didn’t seem able to fully shed. He missed roughly half the season with a various knocks and strains, including the last month of Project Restart. Fortunately, this season it’s been a completely different story. He’s missed just one match all season (by choice rather than force) and has played in all but 7 of our Premier League minutes. Obviously, the potential concern of overplaying the man shouldn’t be ignored, but if Kanté’s fit and he plays as well as he’s been recently, we can certainly set our ambitions high.

3. MASON MOUNT (8.1)

The concern of playing too much is also present in Mount’s case, even if he is a decade Kanté’s junior. An energetic Mount is a completely different player from a fatigued Mount, and we need the former, which is precisely whom we got in this one.

vs. LEEDS UNITED (PL, H, W 3-1)

EXCEPTIONAL (9.0+): —

EXCELLENT (8.0-8.9): James (8.2), Kanté (8.1), Mount (8.1)

GOOD (7.0-7.9): Giroud (7.9), Zouma (7.9), Silva (7.9), Pulisic (7.4, sub), Chilwell (7.2), Kovačić (7.1, sub), Werner (7.0)

AVERAGE (6.0-6.9): Mendy (6.6), Abraham (6.4, sub), Ziyech (6.4), Havertz (6.2)

POOR (5.0-5.9): —

BAD (4.0-4.9): —

TERRIBLE (3.0-3.9): —

OVERALL