Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Man Utd: Blues’ Dramatic Downfall Reaches New Low

Chelsea endured their fourth consecutive Premier League defeat on Saturday night, falling 1–0 against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues were the better side for the entirety of the contest but were missing the end product, and Matheus Cunha struck on the verge of halftime with United’s only shot on goal of the night.

Liam Rosenior’s side pressured the visitors until the final whistle but emphatically struggled to generate clear chances. In the end, Cunha’s goal against the run of play sufficed for the Red Devils to escape with three points.

The latest lifeless Chelsea display could potentially see them drop to eighth in the Premier League standings, and if Liverpool win on Sunday, the Blues will find themselves seven points back of the Champions League places. With just one win in their last eight Premier League games, rock-bottom doesn’t seem too far away for Rosenior’s side.

The Problem That Won’t Go Away

João Pedro missed Saturday’s clash with a thigh injury and Rosenior deployed a front three that had scored two Premier League goals combined since the calendar turned to 2026. When Estêvão left the pitch with an injury, that number dropped to one.

Liam Delap, Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto are yet to find the back of the net in the Premier League since the start of the Rosenior era: Delap last scored in the league in early January, Pedro’s most recent top-flight strike came in December and you have to go back to October to find Garnacho’s first and only Premier League goal for Chelsea.

Without Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martínez and Leny Yoro, Michael Carrick picked teenager Ayden Heaven and Noussair Mazraoui—who have 16 combined league starts this season—to complete United’s makeshift center back pairing at Stamford Bridge. Still, Chelsea’s attackers could do next to nothing to intimidate the visitors, and you can add Cole Palmer to the mix.

Central midfielder Enzo Fernández was responsible for well over half of Chelsea’s measly 0.49 xG in the first half. Estêvão, who fell injured just past the 10-minute mark and was taken off shortly after, was the only other player with a shot on goal in the first half.

With Chelsea’s defense conceding in each of their last 10 games entering Saturday’s bout, their attack knew it had to snap out of their slump. But without Pedro, Chelsea’s front three were toothless and the Blues have now failed to score in each of their last four Premier League games.

A team that hasn’t scored in nearly six and a half hours simply has no chance of qualifying for the Champions League.

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

Cole Palmer’s season struggles continued. | Izzy Poles/AMA/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Robert Sánchez—6.4: Nothing he could do to stop Cunha’s winner in the only shot on goal he faced all game.

RB: Malo Gusto—7.3: Was solid to start, containing Cunha and offering support in attack with galloping runs down the flank. United’s goal unsettled the Frenchman, who struggled the rest of the way.

CB: Wesley Fofana—7.0: Strong effort from Fofana, who more than held his own against Benjamin Šeško to lessen the critics that have been directed his way in recent weeks.

CB: Jorrel Hato—6.9: Put his body on the line to valiantly protect his goal, blocking shots and making precise challenges from the start. A solid showing from the young Dutchman.

LB: Marc Cucurella—7.0: Did well containing Bryan Mbeumo and was a constant attacking threat with box-crashing runs in the second half.

CM: Moisés Caicedo—6.9: Looked back to his reliable self with his usual midfield partner alongside him. Regularly involved in the build-up and he dominated in midfield with timely interventions.

CM: Enzo Fernández—7.6: Back from suspension, the Argentine immediately showed Chelsea what they were missing. He tirelessly threaded forward passes between the lines and was the main architect of Chelsea’s possessions.

RW: Estêvão—6.4: Had a positive start but an injury forced him to exit the pitch inside the opening 20 minutes.

AM: Cole Palmer—6.0: Never looked comfortable operating in congested areas. Although he had a couple of slick touches, Palmer’s end product was missing once again.

LW: Pedro Neto—6.3: Made a rather feeble effort to track Cunha’s run in United’s opener. After offering next to nothing in attack in the first half, his deliveries into the box from the right became Chelsea’s biggest source of danger after the break.

ST: Liam Delap—61: In need to deliver with Pedro absent, Delap was a ghost for the most part with less than 10 attempted passes and he smashed the crossbar with the only shot he attempted.

SUB: Alejandro Garnacho (16’ for Estêvão)—6.8: Another anonymous display from the summer recruit, who once again was hesitant and erratic whenever he was in position to make something happen.

SUB: Josh Acheampong (81’ for Fofana)—N/A

SUB: Trevoh Chalobah (81’ for Gusto)—N/A

SUB: Roméo Lavia (88’ for Fernández)—N/A

Subs not used: Teddy Sharman-Lowe (GK), Mamadou Sarr, Tosin Adarabioyo, Dário Essugo, Andrey Santos, Marc Guiu.

What These Ratings Tell Us

Enzo Fernández was one of the few Chelsea bright-spots. | Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

After serving a two-match internal suspension for comments he made regarding a potential move to Real Madrid, Enzo Fernández returned and was arguably Chelsea’s best player on the night. Sure, the Blues might not have won against Man City last time out with Fernández on the pitch, but it became abundantly clear Rosenior can’t afford to be without the Argentine if Chelsea want to rescue their season.
Alejandro Garnacho resumed his rather lackluster debut season in west London, failing to provide any danger down the left wing since he replaced the injured Estêvão early in the match. The Brazilian could be sidelined in upcoming matches, meaning Garnacho will likely continue to feature prominently in the climax of the season.
Liam Delap has failed to find the back of the net in his last 20 appearances for Chelsea. Rosenior better hope Pedro’s injury isn’t that serious, because his backup is nowhere close to his level.

The Numbers That Explain Chelsea’s Devastating Defeat

Liam Delap didn’t take advantage of a massive opportunity to help Chelsea’s cause. | Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Chelsea dominated possession with a 60–40 split and had 21 shots to United’s four, but the visitors capitalized from their only big chance created, while the Blues couldn’t create a single big chance despite their lopsided insistence.
United only generated an xG of 0.29 compared to Chelsea’s 1.55. Still, a lack of a clinical finishing condemned the Blues.
As unimpressive as Chelsea’s attacking effort was on Saturday night, they were also extremely unlucky, hitting the post three times against United.

Statistic	Chelsea	Man Utd
Possession	60%	40%
Expected Goals (xG)	1.55	0.29
Total Shots	21	4
Shots on Target	3	1
Big Chances	0	1
Pass Accuracy	89%	84%
Fouls Committed	12	13
Corners	7	1

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