Overview

Chelsea won the 2021 Champions League final on the back of a mature and composed performance that offered a glimpse of what lies in store if this young team continue progressing. In a game billed as a match of wits between Thomas Tuchel and Pep Guardiola, it was the less heralded who emerged victorious.

Every Chelsea player played with a clear understanding of what was required from them — be it flashy or more understated in nature — and executed Tuchel’s instructions to perfection. Like the Real Madrid second leg, City were disposed of swiftly and there were no doubts about Chelsea’s status as winners. The scoreline makes the game look closer than it actually was.

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Match statistics

Statistics from fbref and wyscout.

Note: some statistics on the player charts might not corroborate with those presented in the “stats of note” sections. This is because the stats for the charts are obtained from a different source and not fbref. For instance, N’Golo Kanté has 8 loose-ball recoveries according to fbref and 10 according to Opta. In most cases, the differences will be minimal.

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Individual ratings

Thomas Tuchel

Nailed yet another big-game managerial matchup, rounding up a hat-trick of wins over Guardiola in the process.

It would have been easy for Tuchel to have given into the temptation of picking Pulisic or Ziyech on the wings with Werner as a conventional forward, and it is to his credit that he resisted the temptation. Havertz and Werner have shown that they get the best out of each other and this game was no different.

Defensively, Chelsea did a great job of squeezing City’s players wide before seeking to win the ball back. Perhaps the only misstep Tuchel made the whole game was removing Mount off for Kovačić — a move that could have proven particularly costly if we had conceded and gone into extra-time — but thankfully nothing bad came of it.

RATING: 9.5

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Édouard Mendy — GK

His passing was phenomenal and it was his laser-guided pass to Chilwell that started the sequence leading to the goal. Though he did not have to make any difficult saves, his sweeping and passing made this a tremendous performance.

Stats of note
10 passes completed over 40 yards (15 attempted)
5 throws
1 defensive action outside the box
7 loose-ball recoveries - 3rd
5 passes under pressure - Joint 3rd

RATING: 7.5

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Reece James — RWB

Was exceptional in keeping Raheem Sterling quiet with his robust and proactive style of defending. Could have done slightly better going forward but the positives of the defensive display far outweigh any quibbles in that regard.

Stats of note
7 tackles - 1st
24 pressures - 1st
4 carries into final third - 1st
3 successful dribbles (3 attempted) - Joint 1st
5 progressive carries - Joint 1st
2nd shot-creating actions - Joint 2nd
3 progressive passes - Joint 2nd
2 aerial duels won (5 contested) - Joint 3rd

RATING: 8.5

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César Azpilicueta — RCB

Made a couple of heroic interventions in the box to prevent City from converting cut-backs. After repeated heartbreaks in finals as a captain, this was a great way to cement his status as a Chelsea legend.

Stats of note
4 clearances - Joint 2nd
3 passes into final third - Joint 2nd

RATING: 7.5

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Thiago Silva — CB

Looked imperious before getting injured close to half-time.

Stats of note
2 aerial duels won (2 contested) - Joint 3rd

RATING: N/A

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Photo by DAVID RAMOS/AFP via Getty Images

Antonio Rüdiger — LCB

Did very well to help Chilwell in dealing with Mahrez and Walker. He opted to be conservative with the ball instead of exhibiting his full passing and carrying range — an understandable decision considering the magnitude of the game.

While all the focus was on Ruben Dias, there is a legitimate argument to suggest Rüdiger has been the best centre-back in the league in 2021.

Stats of note
6 clearances - 1st
3 passes into final third - Joint 2nd
2 aerial duels won (3 contested) - Joint 3rd

RATING: 8

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Ben Chilwell — LWB

Was very alert defensively and did not place a foot wrong except for one duel with Walker. Played a big role in the sequence leading to Havertz’s goal, too.

Stats of note
3 passes into penalty box - Joint 1st
4 clearances - Joint 2nd
2 carries into final third - Joint 2nd
4 progressive passes received - 3rd
2 touches in penalty box - Joint 3rd

RATING: 8

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N’Golo Kanté — RCM

Continued his tour de force in the knockout stages and nullified everything City threw at us. His run of form this season will deservedly go down in the same breath as Modrić in 2018, Keane in 1999, and other such legendary midfielders. As mentioned elsewhere on this website, give this man the Ballon d’Or already.

Stats of note
11 passes under pressure - 1st
2 interceptions - 1st
2 passes into penalty box - 2nd
5 tackles - 2nd (Note: 3 according to Opta)
22 pressures - 2nd
8 loose-ball recoveries - 2nd (Note: 10 according to Opta)
3 aerial duels won (5 contested) - 2nd
3 progressive passes - Joint 2nd
2 successful dribbles (3 attempted) - Joint 2nd
2 touches in penalty box - Joint 3rd

RATING: 9

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Jorginho — LCM

Kept play simple, circulating the ball and ensuring we retained possession when City tried to press us. Was disciplined defensively too, doggedly sticking to his zones and waiting for the right time to pick the pockets of City players.

Stats of note
11 loose-ball recoveries - 1st
3 passes into final third - Joint 2nd
20 pressures - 3rd

RATING: 7.5

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Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

Kai Havertz — R-AM/W

Showed incredible composure to round Ederson instead of taking an early shot. This was not too different from his nearly-successful attempt to chip Courtois and one does wonder if there is anything that fazes him. Was excellent in creating a huge chance for Pulisic, too, buying time and space in a game where neither were easy to come by.

Stats of note
1 goal
4 aerial duels won (10 contested) - 1st
3 passes into penalty box - Joint 1st
3 successful dribbles (4 attempted) - Joint 1st
5 progressive carries - Joint 1st
7 passes under pressure - 2nd
4 touches in penalty box - 2nd
5 progressive passes received - 2nd
2nd shot-creating actions - Joint 2nd
3 progressive passes - Joint 2nd
2 carries into final third - Joint 2nd
3 tackles - 3rd

RATING: 9

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Timo Werner — CF

Cannot be blamed too much for his initial two misses. The first 10-20 minutes of a Champions League final are never easy for players due to the nerves involved. He was great in opening up space for other attackers through his unselfish running and he played a huge role in Havertz’s goal, even if that does not show up in the scoresheet.

Stats of note
3 shots - 1st
9 touches in penalty box - 1st
2 carries into penalty box - 1st
6 progressive passes received - 1st
5 progressive carries - Joint 1st

RATING: 7.5

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Mason Mount — L-AM/W

After a dip in form, Mount rebounded strongly to take the game by the scruff of its neck. His interplay with Havertz and Chilwell was strong all game and tormented City’s right flank, creating two huge chances.

While Kanté will rightly get a lot of praise, Mount’s contribution should not be overlooked. It is not often that the same player leads a team in both chance creation and ball progression in a game of this magnitude, less so at 22 years of age. This was an absurdly good performance.

Stats of note
1 assist
5 shot-creating actions - 1st
3 key passes - 1st
4 passes into final third - 1st
6 progressive passes - 1st
5 progressive carries - Joint 1st
2 successful dribbles (3 attempted) - Joint 2nd

RATING: 9

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Substitutes

Andreas Christensen (39th minute) — The fact Silva was not missed after his injury is a testament to the quality of Christensen’s performance. He took some time to get used to the speed of the game, but came up trumps with a set of crucial blocks and interventions in the box.

Stats of note
4 clearances - Joint 2nd

RATING: 7.5

Christian Pulisic (66th minute) — Brought plenty of energy and pace to the pitch, helping stretch City’s defence. Finishing and decision-making could have been slightly better.

Stats of note
2nd shot-creating actions - Joint 2nd
5 passes under pressure - Joint 3rd
2 touches in penalty box - Joint 3rd
2 aerial duels won (4 contested) - Joint 3rd

Mateo Kovačić (80th minute) — Helped shore up the midfield.