1. CONOR GALLAGHER (8.0, sub)

He came, he saw, he conquered. The prince that was promised. He returned the home crowd’s standing ovations (yes, two of them), with a cold dagger through their collective heart, and that’s some House of the Dragon Proper Chels-level plot-twistery. Love it.

Gallagher’s had a somewhat inauspicious start to hist first-team career through these first few weeks of the season, but this is much more like it, especially in terms of direct impact.

2. PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG (7.2)

We needed a goal. He delivered a goal. Job done.

3. KEPA ARRIZABALAGA (7.1)

Another solid outing for Kepa, who surely stays in the conversation for first-choice goalkeeper even after Édouard Mendy comes back to full fitness.

Kepa just edges out Reece James, who was the official Man of the Match, and rustled some feathers over in South London with his post-match social media, which got Wilfried Zaha annoyed online. Bonus points!

vs. CRYSTAL PALACE (PL, A, W 2-1)

EXCEPTIONAL (9.0+): —

EXCELLENT (8.0-8.9): Gallagher (8.0, sub)

GOOD (7.0-7.9): Aubameyang (7.2), Arrizabalaga (7.1), James (7.1)

AVERAGE (6.0-6.9): Pulisic (6.9, sub), Silva (6.6), Sterling (6.0), Fofana (6.0), Loftus-Cheek (6.0, sub)

POOR (5.0-5.9): Havertz (5.9), Chilwell (5.9), Kovačić (5.7), Broja (5.7, sub), Mount (5.6), Jorginho (5.2)

BAD (4.0-4.9): —

TERRIBLE (3.0-3.9): —

OVERALL