By far the best display of Antonio Conte’s tenure as Chelsea boss, the Blues destroyed their former manager as Jose Mourinho saw his side concede within the first 30 seconds. A rare goal from N’Golo Kante was one of the highlights of an incredible performance, with Eden Hazard and Gary Cahill also on the scoresheet, in what is one of the best games at Stamford Bridge for the home crowd since they won the league under Mourinho in 2015.
How did the Chelsea stars rate in victory?
Thibaut Courtois – 7
The Belgian had a quiet afternoon in goal for the Blues, with the only real test of note a late stop from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and a few even later attempts at goal as United desperately sought a consolation strike.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 8
Looking a natural in central defence, Azpilicueta refused to allow the United attack to get past him. His composure was key alongside David Luiz and he bossed the right hand side and ensured that Jesse Lingard was under control when Victor Moses was busy rampaging forwards.
David Luiz – 7
Lucky not to have seen red for a high studs up challenge on Marouane Fellaini, Luiz was his usual self, roaming forwards and, at times, all over the place. Lacking discipline, he did win many of his aerial battles with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but was lucky to remain on the pitch for much of the game.
Gary Cahill – 9
Cahill refused to allow Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcus Rashford a moment’s space as he was dominant both on the floor and in the air as he stepped up as the leader in John Terry’s absence. Such demanding performances will see him become vital to Antonio Conte’s long term plans.
Victor Moses – 8
Vital to the Blues’ counter attacking play, he attacked with pace and power to make the most of United’s poor discipline and exploit the spaces left in midfield and defence. His support was vital for the front three and set them up time and time again as he rebuilds his Chelsea career.
Nemanja Matic – 8
Perhaps the quietest of all Chelsea players, Matic still performed admirably. Alongside Kante in the middle, he kept the United attack from getting anywhere near the box and looked to start the counter attack whenever possible. His composure was vital as United sought a consolation effort, with concentration at the top level until the final whistle.
N’Golo Kante – 8
Scoring his first goal for the club with a waltzing run straight through the middle, Kante looked calm and composed throughout the match, breaking up play and keeping Paul Pogba almost silent. The attacking element of his game, so rarely on display, was clear as he dismantled the United midfield to notch a superb goal.
Marcos Alonso – 9
A revelation on the left flank, Alonso pinned back Marcus Rashford and Antonio Valencia and added a real threat going forwards as well as at the back. His early pass set Pedro up to score very early on with a quality ball into his path, and he is clearly proving the critics who slammed his signing wrong.
Pedro – 9
The United backline couldn’t handle the pace and threat of the Spaniard in what was one of his best Chelsea performances to date. A superb start saw him net the fastest goal of the season in the Premier League but he continued to cause problems for Danny Blind throughout and his runs inside proved devastating with no United defenders wanting to take him on.
Diego Costa – 8
Gave Chris Smalling a headache throughout with his physical style and the captain for the day failed to handle Costa at his best, despite failing to get on the scoresheet. Dragging the Red Devils’ defence all over the place, Costa created the space to allow Hazard and Pedro to be effective and his hard work did not go unnoticed by Antonio Conte.
Eden Hazard – 9
One of his best displays of the season as Hazard cut inside time and again to worsen the situation for United’s struggling defence. With pace and skill he consistently found space in holes in their backline to create opportunities and score a fine effort himself to put the game out of sight.
Substitutions
Nathaniel Chalobah (for Pedro, 71′) – 7
The youngster had little to do, with Chelsea easing to victory by the time he came on, but he did his job well and added some defensive steel to midfield.
Michy Batshuayi (for Costa, 78′) – 7
Pace and skill, he kept the United defence on edge and ran them ragged until the final whistle.
Willian (for Hazard, 78′) – 7
Keen to add to the display, there was little time to make an impact but he settled well after a traumatic few weeks off the field.