Chelsea’s lowest rated player against Everton is a surprise – but Blues win without their talisman scoring

Chelsea’s front three were well handled by Everton, but a team effort from the Blues saw them defend well and take their chances for a win.

It was very interesting to see Chelsea’s ratings from the game against Everton at the weekend.

So far this season the front three – striker Joao Pedro in particular – have totally carried the team.

Yet in this game, JP was the only player fiven less than a 7.0 rating by FotMob. In fact, he was way down on 6.7. The next lowest was Levi Colwill on a 7.1.

The Brazilian wasn’t bad by any stretch, just well marshalled by the gigantic pair James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite at the back for the Toffees.

Chelsea win without top options on the scoresheet

The good news for Chelsea is that even without their talisman striker on form, they were able to win. It’s their first victory of the season without a goal or assist from any of the front three.

It’s a great sign – they need to learn to win game even when their attackers are kept quiet. This was finally a game won by defensive solidity, midfield control and goals from other sources. This is a team going in the right direction.

In other news…

Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea are going to try and buy Alex Scott in January, but it will cost them big money.

Morgan Rogers praised the “hunger” that Joao Pedro has after another battling performance for the Blues.

A lot of Chelsea fans will be watching Tottenham tonight as they face Coventry – while the Blues are resting after winning on Saturday.