Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Atalanta: Familiar Issues for Stuttering Blues

The Blues faltered in the second-half and fell to a 2–1 defeat in Bergamo.

Chelsea fell to defeat in Bergamo. / Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

Chelsea’s winless run in all competitions extended to four games, as they were beaten 2–1 by Atalanta on Tuesday night.

The Blues had been superb last time out in this competition, completely overwhelming Barcelona in a 3–0 rout, but here they were insipid and slow, even after João Pedro gave them the lead midway through the first half.

Atalanta are still finding their feet under new manager Raffaele Palladino, but they were far superior after the restart and good value for their victory. Former West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca equalised for the hosts before the majestic Charles De Ketelaere won it for La Dea in the closing stages.

The victors are now up to third in the league phase table, while Chelsea have slipped to 11th, below Tottenham Hotspur.

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Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Atalanta (4-2-3-1)

Chelsea let a half-time lead slip on Tuesday night. / Carl Recine/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Robert Sánchez—6.0: Chelsea’s No. 1 produced a couple of loose parries and hospital passes into central areas. He also got a good hand to the winning strike.

RB: Josh Acheampong—6.8: The youngster looks like a class act, not merely because of those two superb defensive interventions in the first half. He plays with unflinching confidence.

CB: Trevoh Chalobah—6.3: There were times when he should’ve got closer to Scamacca, with his hesitance allowing Atalanta to access their frontman’s feet pretty consistently. Withdrawn at half-time on a booking.

CB: Benoît Badiashile—7.1: Probably could’ve offered more as a passer to break Atalanta’s lines, but he did a good job of keeping De Ketelaere in check early on.

LB: Marc Cucurella—6.9: Those minutes are starting to take their toll on Cucurella, who struggled up against De Ketelaeare in the second half and didn’t offer much with the ball.

DM: Reece James—7.6: James certainly wasn’t responsible for Chelsea’s defeat, but he did come closest to potentially taking the game away from the hosts at the start of the second half.

DM: Moisés Caicedo—7.0: Didn’t have it all his own way against Êderson in midfield, and generally looked a little rusty after two games out.

RM: Pedro Neto—6.0: Outside of one run in the second-half, Neto didn’t make the most of his pace to spin an aggressive Atalanta defence.

AM: Enzo Fernández—5.9: Atalanta’s strict man-orientation means they find it hard to track late runs from midfield, and there were chances for the Argentine to exploit this vulnerability more than he did. He looked leggy.

LM: Jamie Gittens—6.6: Offered close to nothing off the left, and even less when Maresca switched him over to the right.

ST: João Pedro—7.4: Took his goal nicely, but Chelsea didn’t get much else out of him this evening. Had a good chance at the death saved.

Substitute	Rating (Out of 10)
Wesley Fofana (46’ for Chalobah)	6.2
Malo Gusto (66’ for Fernández)	6.1
Alejandro Garnacho (66’ for Neto)	6.2
Tosin Adarabioyo (76’ for Fofana)	6.0

Subs not used: Filip Jörgensen (GK), Max Merrick (GK), Jorrel Hato, Andrey Santos, Marc Guiu, Tyrique George, Facundo Buonanotte, Estêvão.

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Atalanta (3-4-2-1)

Starting XI: Marco Carnesecchi; Odilon Kossounou, Berat Djimsiti, Sead Kolašinac; Raoul Bellanova, Éderson, Marten De Roon, Lorenzo Bernasconi; Charles De Ketelaere, Ademola Lookman; Gianluca Scamacca.

Subs used: Davide Zappacosta, Honest Ahanor, Nikola Krstović, Yunus Musah, Mario Pašalić.

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Player of the Match: Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta)

Chelsea Player of the Match: Reece James

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Atalanta 2–1 Chelsea: How it Unfolded at the New Balance Arena

João Pedro scored his first Champions League goal in Bergamo. / Carl Recine/Getty Images

Chelsea entered the contest off the back of a disappointing week that saw them lose ground in the title race. Enzo Maresca’s need to rotate meant they were unable to replicate their performances against Barcelona and Arsenal at more humble Premier League grounds.

Cole Palmer was absent from the starting XI in Bergamo, as Maresca welcomed back Moisés Caicedo to his engine room. Young defender Josh Acheampong also earned a rare start, and Chelsea’s right back on the day played a key role in ensuring they didn’t fall behind to Palladino’s men.

Atalanta’s wide combinations, wingbacks and third-man runs from deep gave the Blues some issues early, and after they prevented Ademola Lookman from opening the scoring barely five minutes in, Acheampong was on hand to deny De Ketelaere from point-blank range. His block was undoubtedly goal-saving, and that moment seemed to turn the contest in Chelsea’s favour.

The away side started to get to grips with what the hosts were trying to achieve in possession, and they started to gain a foothold. A long ball into the channel led to a corner, from which Chelsea crafted a routine that eventually led to Reece James crossing to João Pedro, who smartly converted to give Maresca’s men the lead.

The goal was initially ruled out by the linesman’s flag, but replays showed James to be onside, and Pedro’s first Champions League strike eventually stood.

First #UCL goal for our No.20! ✊#CFC pic.twitter.com/V43Fwitt6n

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 9, 2025

Atalanta didn’t offer too much up until the half-time interval, although Chelsea also showed few signs of extending their advantage.

The control that the Londoners had towards the end of the first half was sapped after the interval, with more of a back-and-forth contest playing out. Reece James ought to have doubled Chelsea’s lead at the start of the second period, and the Blues skipper was made to pay by Scamacca, who had no choice but to head home De Ketelaere’s delightful cross.

The silky Belgian started to take over the contest, with Palladino’s side suddenly operating with far greater fluency and rhythm. It was a storm Chelsea managed to weather, and the game soon drifted into a lull.

But the Blues had little in the tank, allowing Atalanta to come again as the game drifted towards its conclusion. De Ketelaere had cosplayed as 2019–20 Josip Iličić in the second half, and it was fitting that he’d emerge as the match-winner. The Belgian was aided by some passive Chelsea defending, but the finish to bypass Robert Sánchez at his near post was fierce.

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Atalanta vs. Chelsea Half-Time Stats

Statistic	Atalanta	Chelsea
Possession	50%	50%
Expected Goals (xG)	0.60	0.66
Total Shots	5	3
Shots on Target	1	1
Big Chances	1	1
Pass Accuracy	85%	87%
Fouls Committed	3	7
Corners	1	3

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Atalanta vs. Chelsea Full Time Stats

Statistic	Atalanta	Chelsea
Possession	49%	51%
Expected Goals (xG)	1.74	1.25
Total Shots	13	10
Shots on Target	4	5
Big Chances	2	2
Pass Accuracy	84%	86%
Fouls Committed	6	14
Corners	2	5

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