As we enter the last international break of the year, we thought it was a good time to take stock and assess how each Chelsea player has performed so far this season.

It is fair to say that the start of Xabi Alonso’s reign at Stamford Bridge has been a mixed bag, both in terms of results and individual displays.

Some players have performed extremely well, while others have flattered to deceive in the first few months of Alonso’s tenure.

Press the next page as we grade all 24 first-team players from A to F…

No Grade

Marco Palestra, Geovany Quenda, Jamie Gittens, Emmanuel Emegha

The highest number of minutes any of these four have played is 202, which is barely two games, so we thought it was unfair to grade them based on their limited game time.

F

Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana
Gusto has really struggled to adapt to Alonso’s system. At times, the Spaniard has asked the fullback to play in midfield, like his teammate Reece James, but he struggled.

Even when the 23-year-old has played in more familiar roles, though, he has thrown in several poor performances. The club may now be regretting not selling him to Manchester City last summer.

Fofana, meanwhile, continues to make mistakes, and many fans believe it is time to cut their losses on a player who cost more than £70m four years ago.

E

Maxence Lacroix, Danny Welbeck
Lacroix should have been the perfect fit for Alonso’s back three. It is a system he knows like the back of his hand, having played it at his previous two teams: Wolfsburg and Crystal Palace.

Yet, the Frenchman has really struggled for consistency since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, and the evidence for that is clear. The Blues have only kept one clean sheet in the 8 Premier League games he has started.

Welbeck, meanwhile, seems to have lost the trust of his manager already. Despite impressing with 3 goals in the Carabao Cup, he has yet to find the back of the net in the league. It has led to Alonso deciding to start Pedro Neto or Morgan Rogers up front rather than use Welbeck in Joao Pedro’s absence.

D

Emi Martinez, Mike Penders, Levi Colwill, Reece James
It was hoped that the arrival of Emi Martinez would add some steel in the backline, but the Argentinian international has so far disappointed with his shot-stopping ability. His save ratio is a rather mediocre 69.4%.

His understudy Penders got off to a disastrous start against Tottenham, but improved versus Manchester United and Sunderland. Levi Colwill has had his ups and downs this season, with the nadir being his substitution at halftime last weekend at the Stadium of Light.

Captain Reece James put in some solid performances, but he didn’t produce any goals or assists from his first 6 appearances prior to his injury.

C

Jorrel Hato, Pep Chavarria, Valentin Barco, Moises Caicedo, Jordan Henderson, Estevao

Both Hato and Chavarria have put in some decent displays at left-back and wingback, although they have been by no means perfect. A solid ‘C’ grade seems fair for their contributions so far.

Equally, Barco has done quite well when given chances in the middle of the park by Alonso. Some fans feel he probably deserves more minutes in the league. In Estevao’s case, fans are crying out for the manager to play him more, especially after he impressed in his first league start of the season against Manchester United.

Caicedo has had an injury-ravaged campaign so far, but he has helped protect the defence when fit and available. Henderson, meanwhile, had that one standout performance against Bournemouth, which gives him a passing grade.

B

Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer

Lavia appears to be finally turning into the player that the club hoped to see when they signed him from Southampton three years ago. Of course, the key for the Belgian is staying fit.

Neto has embraced the responsibility that Alonso has handed him, whether he starts at wingback or on the right wing. 4 goals and 1 assist in 13 games is a decent return.

Palmer’s numbers (5 goals and 3 assists) are slightly better than Neto’s, although some may argue that he isn’t quite at the level he reached during his first year at the club.

A

Josh Acheampong, Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro

Alonso is a big fan of Acheampong, and the 20-year-old has undoubtedly rewarded the faith his manager has shown in him with some great performances.

Many questioned the £117m that Chelsea spent on Rogers, but his 10 goal contributions in 13 matches suggest that he is well worth the investment.

Pedro, meanwhile, has become a crucial cog in the attack, and his absence due to injury has been keenly felt in recent matches.