Chelsea 0-0 Sevilla: Player Ratings as Blues Grind Out Hard-Fought Point
Chelsea's return to Champions League action ended in stalemate as Frank Lampard's side were held to a 0-0 draw by Sevilla.
The contest in west London rarely threatened to come to life, with the hard work and endeavour of both sides meaning opportunities were few and far between.
Edouard Mendy made a couple of smart saves on the same day that Petr Cech was named in Chelsea's 25-man Premier League squad, while the Blues' best efforts came from Timo Werner - though the German's opportunities were far from clear cut.
It was a frustrating night for Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz, too, with both players unable to really get their foot on the ball against Julen Lopegetui's compact and hard-working side. Enough of all that descriptive stuff, let's get into some ratings shall we?
1. Goalkeeper & Defenders
Edouard Mendy (GK) - 7/10 - Made a smart early save to paw away Gudelj's deflected header, and also got down well to deny Ocampos just before the break. Brings an air of calmness to proceedings, something that Kepa and Willy Caballero most certainly don't.
Reece James (RB) - 7/10 - Loves getting forward to create overlaps but wasn't able to influence proceedings in the final third as much as Frank Lampard may have liked. Solid in defence and is maturing with each performance.
Thiago Silva (CB) - 7/10 - Put a poor early mistake behind him - when he attempted to cut a ball out and was a second too late - and put in an assured, confident display. Experience is key at the highest level and Thiago Silva has bundles of it.
Kurt Zouma (CB) - 4/10 - Seems to cause unnecessary panic in Chelsea's backline, flailing his legs at clearances and making too many simple errors. Left Chilwell isolated in the air a couple of times, when he should really be taking command of crosses into the box.
Ben Chilwell (LB) - 6/10 - A decent enough showing for England's first-choice left-back, demonstrating his comfort at this level. Not significantly troubled by Sevilla, but had enough to do against the Europa League holders.
2. Midfielders
Jorginho (CM) - 6/10 - Picked up a booking early on after a sloppy first time pass, and could easily have been dismissed just after the quarter-hour mark. Recycled possession well and maintained a good intensity before Lampard decided not to risk his captain picking up a second yellow.
N'Golo Kante (CM) - 7/10 - Typically full of running, closing down any pockets of space that Rakitic and co. looked to pick up. Still not playing at his absolute best, but impressive nevertheless.
Christian Pulisic (RM) - 5/10 - Couldn't really get into the game as Sevilla squeezed any spaces that the American tried to get into. Looked better on the left-hand side of Chelsea's front three after opening up on the right flank.
Kai Havertz (AM) - 5/10 - Drifted across the front line behind Werner, but struggled to stamp any kind of authority on the game. Will have better days.
Mason Mount (LM) - 5/10 - Undoubtedly has a lot of ability but must do more to make his presence felt in these kind of games. Wasn't overly involved, so it was no surprise to see him withdrawn after an hour.
3. Forward
Timo Werner (ST) - 6/10 - Led the line well, consistently making a nuisance of himself in the channels. That said, lacked the quality we all know he has when searching for an end product. Replaced by Abraham in added time.
4. Substitutes
Hakim Ziyech (RW) - 5/10 - Tough game to make a mark in from the bench, with Chelsea's creativity stifled by Sevilla. Valuable minutes under his belt.
Mateo Kovacic (CM) - 6/10 - Is wonderful at breaking up play, going about his work in a typically efficient manner. A very handy option to replace Jorginho just after the hour.
Tammy Abraham (ST) - N/A