Yesterday’s match against West Ham was the best Chelsea have played since the Boehly-Clearlake consortium took ownership of the club. It’s also the first time I have truly been convinced that there is something to work with under Mauricio Pochettino. Sacking him now, just as the team is looking like they are making proper strides under his coaching would be nonsensical in the extreme. There are some great combinations that are starting to become really evident. Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke have really struck up an understanding and it has been one of the most effective weapons in Chelsea’s arsenal, particularly in the last three games. Their ability to interchange positions so seamlessly and either take a man on and get to the byline for a cross, or work a pass inside was both vital to the result and wonderful to watch.
Since Marc Cucurella started coming inside for the ball from his left-back spot, he has been a revelation. It’s had knock-on effects for the whole team, the other midfielder in the two can push forward to help attacks, while also helping to bring the best out of Moises Caicedo who looks like the player that ruled the midfield for Brighton last season. Too often this season, Caicedo has been left with too much to do when Chelsea have lost the ball and are defending a counter-attack. Too often, he is either bypassed completely or gives away a foul. Now, by having another player beside him, he is left with less space to try and cover and can even pressure the opposition and be proactive in winning the ball back. We saw this in the fifth goal yesterday, where Caicedo stepped up to make a challenge on Tomas Soucek, won the ball and played a lovely ball into Nicolas Jackson who finished beautifully.
There was just so much to be positive about in yesterday’s performance. The defence was solid; they protected the goalkeeper and mostly kept West Ham to shots from outside the box. The quality of passing on display was of the highest standard. There was patience to keep the ball when West Ham were sitting in their shape, and great incisiveness when the opportunity to counter was present. Players are getting better and better. Noni Madueke is now looking a real threat from the right-hand side; his assist for Nicolas Jackson’s first goal of the game was brilliantly unselfish when he would have been well within his rights to knock the ball past the keeper and score himself. Nicolas Jackson is also a player worth mentioning. While his inconsistency in front of goal has been frustrating at times, his overall play has very encouraging. He has contributed a good number of assists this season as well as netting thirteen Premier League goals in his debut season. That is very promising for a 22-year-old who had never played in the division before. I have not been convinced by Conor Gallagher over the last two seasons, but he put in a superb performance yesterday. If he could be that effective more of the time, I would have no reservations about him at all. Thiago Silva also deserves a mention. What a fantastic servant to the club this man has been. When he first signed in 2020, I thought we would get a year out of him, maybe two at a stretch, but certainly not four. His performances have never wavered in that time either and he has been a wonderful mentor to the younger players as well. He will be so hard to replace but will go with the thanks of every Chelsea supporter. And top it off, he was excellent again yesterday.
Of course, the star of the show at the moment for Chelsea is Cole Palmer. What a signing this guy has turned out to be. 24 goals in all competitions and 11 assists in all competitions this season is a phenomenal return from a player who is really playing his first full season of senior football. Pep Guardiola never plays his young players too much as they break into the first team. Just look at how much Phil Foden has played this season compared to previous ones. The thing is though, Guardiola and everyone at City knew how good Cole Palmer is. But sometimes players need to move on to be able to grow.
The result puts Chelsea right back into the hunt for European football. They may well need a favour from either Newcastle United or Manchester United, but from where they have been at points during the season, to be in the mix as it reaches its conclusion is something that the team can be pleased with. As I said earlier, if this is a foretaste of things to come under Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea would be wise to keep him on.
Eat, Sleep, Blog, Repeat 