Chelsea player ratings v Aston Villa: January signing Matic and Hazard play well in 0-1 defeat

Ramires – 6/10

Ramires’ greatest quality is his athleticism, but in games such as this when opponents sit deep in order to counter, Jose Mourinho might have been better off playing Frank Lampard, whose passing ability and timing of his runs might have made the difference.

Ramires was later sent off for a dreadful stamp.

Nemanja Matic – 8/10

Nemanja Matic was almost everywhere for Chelsea, near single handedly preventing counterattacks with his clever positioning and tackling.

Matic’s immense physical frame also makes him incredibly useful at both defensive and attacking set pieces, and he had a goal (rightly) ruled out for handball in the first half.