Chelsea maintained their unbeaten record in normal time of pre-season with a 1-1 draw against London rivals Arsenal in Dublin, before losing 6-5 on penalties.
Antonio Rudiger scored the only goal for Chelsea with a well-taken header from a corner.
Alexandre Lacazette levelled the scores in the last-minute to salvage some respect for Arsenal.
A penalty shoot-out ensued for the crowd, with Arsenal winning 6-5 on penalties.
Pre-season games are tricky to judge, but we’ve dished out some player ratings from the meeting in Dublin. Here is how we rated Maurizio Sarri’s side.
Caballero – 5, very flappy and did not install much confidence in his defence.
Azpilicueta – 6, limited Mkhitaryan and Kolasinac well. A lot of Arsenal’s play came down the right, looks tired but to be expected.
Luiz – 6, a few shaky moments but kept Arsenal at bay for the most part. Will be looking to impress ahead of next season.
Rudiger – 8, took his goal very well, unmarked at the corner. Defended very well also, making a couple of crucial interceptions.
Alonso – 5, overlapping runs out from the right got the better of him throughout, with Chelsea playing a very narrow back four. He is far more comfortable as a wing-back.
Jorginho – 7, dictates play both and off the ball. He knows when to press and when to stay. Looks to be a promising addition to the team.
Fabregas – 7, Great assist for Rudiger and solid in midfield throughout the match. Good display from the Spaniard.
Barkley – 6, few sloppy moments in possession but generally linked up very well with Hudson-Odoi in midfield.
Pedro – 6, showed a willingness to get in behind but there were a few too many mistimed runs and failed passes.
Hudson-Odoi – 8.5, He has the speed to beat anyone but his rawness showed against better opposition. Got the better of Arsenal at every opportunity.
Morata – 5, made some clever movements off the ball. Missed penalty will not do his confidence any good coming into next season.
Subs:
Bulka – 6.5, got just over ten minutes under his belt after replacing Caballero. Made a brilliant reflex save to deny Arsenal in the late stages.
Ampadu – 6, replaced Azpilicueta and looked composed when challenged.
Emerson – 6, managed a little better than Alonso as the game petered out.
Christensen – 6, Came off the bench at halftime. Had to face more Arsenal pressure than Luiz, reacted well.
Zappacosta – 6, looked more composed than Azpilicueta, who was visibly shaky at times.
Drinkwater – 6, came on and helped Chelsea maintain possession a little better. Not much to write home about.
Bakayoko – n/a, limited to just a few minutes where he couldn’t make a mark, raising more question marks about his future.
Loftus-Cheek – n/a, not enough time to make a meaningful impact.
Moses – 5, came on in a move advanced role than usual.
Piazon – N/a, replaced Hudson-Odoi in the last few minutes.
Abraham – 6, pressed well when he came off the bench, added some much-needed pace.
