1. KEPA ARRIZABALAGA (8.5)

Kepa has made six appearances (five starts) this season. Four of those (three starts) came in Cup games, either the UEFA Super Cup or the Carabao Cup. He’s won the Man of the Match award in all four!

For once he didn’t even need to be a penalty shootout hero, but rather a more run-of-the-mill goalkeeping hero, making three tremendous saves in the first half to keep Chelsea in the game and allow us to win it late on.

With Édouard Mendy set to go to the Africa Cup of Nations in January, we’re going to need more of the same in what’s looking like a massive month for our season.

Soccerway

2. N’GOLO KANTÉ (7.9)

Like Danté in Clerks, Kanté wasn’t even supposed to be here today. In the pre-match press conference, Thomas Tuchel categorically ruled out any involvement from the midfielder.

Brentford were lucky in the end that Kanté only played the final 10 minutes then.

3. TREVOH CHALOBAH (7.7)

Chalobah was also a doubt pre-match, after getting forced off with a knock at half-time in our previous match. But he recovered and recovered in style, putting in an imperious, dare I say Thiago Silva-esque performance at the heart of the back-three.

Chalobah continues to be the somewhat unexpected but certainly most welcome youth success story of the season, including in a match that saw three more debuts handed out to the Academy youth.

vs. BRENTFORD (LC, A, W 2-0)

EXCEPTIONAL (9.0+): —

EXCELLENT (8.0-8.9): Arrizabalaga (8.5)

GOOD (7.0-7.9): Kanté (7.9, sub), Chalobah (7.7), Jorginho (7.2, sub), James (7.1, sub), Azpilicueta (7.1), Pulisic (7.0, sub)

AVERAGE (6.0-6.9): Kovačić (6.9), Vale (6.9), Saúl (6.8), Alonso (6.8), Sarr (6.6), Mount (6.5, sub), Simons (6.3), Soonsup-Bell (6.1)

POOR (5.0-5.9): Barkley (5.3)

BAD (4.0-4.9): —

TERRIBLE (3.0-3.9): —

OVERALL

(update pending)