Silva makes Chelsea history
What Thiago Silva is doing at the age of 37 years old isn’t normal. The defender is only getting better in a Chelsea shirt, only becoming more important with every match he plays.
The centre-back’s reading of the game is peerless; his use of the ball immaculate. Then there are the intangibles: his influence, organisational skills, top-level experience.
It’s no exaggeration to state Silva is one of the finest defenders ever to pull on a Chelsea shirt. He really is that good. And there were further examples of that against West Ham United.
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Silva broke the deadlock in the first half with a guided header from a Blues corner. It was a finish of quality and composure. And in the process, the Brazil international became Chelsea’s oldest ever goalscorer in the Premier League (37 years 73 days).
Yet Silva’s role in the team is to keep the opposition at bay and he did excellently moments after putting Chelsea ahead to get back on the line and deny Jarrod Bowen an instant equaliser.
Unfortunately for Silva, Manuel Lanzini would convert from the penalty spot after an Edouard Mendy mistake and in the second period, Bowen found the net to cancel out a Mason Mount volley.
The contest at the London Stadium ended 3-2 and Silva trudged off the pitch disappointed. His performance deserved more.
Lanzini barges James
There are few players as transformed when they step onto a football pitch as Reece James. Away from the heat of competition, the 21-year-old is quiet, almost shy. Yet James is the complete opposite once he crosses the white line.
He is a true competitor, a player who can’t be bullied. He will also do almost anything to ensure his side claim victory which is why, after West Ham were awarded a penalty, he was in the ear of Lanzini.
The Argentine was set to take the spot-kick and James did what he could to get into the head of the West Ham forward. It didn’t have the desired effect as Lanzini was able to dispatch his penalty beyond Mendy.
And as the 28-year-old ran off to celebrate, he made a note of barging into James on route to the corner flag. The Chelsea academy graduate didn’t flinch, but the message was clear.
Alonso angers Rudiger
Given the quality within Thomas Tuchel’s squad, one injury shouldn’t be enough to destabilise Chelsea. And yet the partial ACL tear suffered by Ben Chilwell against Juventus has hit the Blues hard.
Part of the reason for that is Chilwell was in superb form. He was reliable in defence but a huge threat in the final third. His ability to drop into midfield also enabled the Blues to vary how they built attacks.
In the absence of the England international, Marcos Alonso has returned to the starting XI. The Spaniard began the campaign in excellent form but hasn’t been able to recapture that.
The 30-year-old has started the last three Chelsea matches and hasn’t lasted the distance in any of them. Against West Ham, he looked sluggish and hesitant and that meant he received an earful from Antonio Rudiger in the opening period.
After West Ham were able to win the ball on the touchline, Bowen advanced forward and was felled by the German defender, who instantly turned to face Alonso and question why the Spaniard hadn’t done better. A shrug of the shoulders followed from Alonso.
Mount stuns Rice
This season hasn’t been the easiest for Mount. An early injury disrupted his momentum and then an infection in his wisdom teeth forced him to miss two further games. More importantly, he lost a bit of weight as he wasn’t able to eat properly.
Yet in midweek against Watford, Mount looked sharper, closer to his best. And that was again the case at the London Stadium. It was Mount who in the first half was trying to unlock the door for Chelsea with runs behind the deep West Ham defence. Unfortunately, they didn’t amount to much.
His biggest impact came on the counter. Ruben Loftus-Cheek won the ball in midfield and found Hakim Ziyech out wide. The Moroccan took a touch and pinged a pass towards Mount in the West Ham penalty area.
The academy graduate elected to take on the ball first time and guided a wonderful volley into the near post. As Mount celebrated in the corner, his close friend Declan Rice could only shake his head.
It was a goal worthy of winning the game and would’ve done had Chelsea defended better in the second period. Sadly, the strike will now be remembered as coming in a disappointing Blues defeat.
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