Chelsea manager Frank Lampard picked out Thiago Silva as a standout performer from his side’s 0-0 draw against Sevilla on Tuesday night.
The Blues kickstarted their Champions League group stage with a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge against Spanish opposition Sevilla, who showed the kind of quality that helped them win the Europa League last season.
Lampard’s side managed to go toe-to-toe with the La Liga outfit and it was a fixture where ultimately the defences came out on top, despite some bright attacking moments from both.
It will be a huge boost for Chelsea to carve out a precious clean sheet, as they’ve started the new Premier League season by conceding nine goals in just five games so far.
The return of Edouard Mendy in goal helped stabilise the back, plus Reece James and veteran Silva were also drafted back into the XI.
Lampard was full of praise for Silva after his European display:
“I thought he was very good today. I spoke about quality and experience before the game and he brought both of those and it affects others around him, which I think he did. He was a big plus in terms of getting the clean sheet,” Lampard said, as quoted by Football.London.
Silva, who was playing in last season’s Champions League final with Paris Saint-Germain, showed what he can bring to the Chelsea side even at his ripe age.
The 36-year-old is a commanding figure that impressed in the heart of defence in midweek with his aerial ability and his composure in playing out from defence too.
Chelsea’s problems at the back under Lampard have been well documented, but they have now kept three clean sheets in the four appearances Silva has made so far this season across all competitions.
The Brazilian centre-back is clearly someone that needs to be on the team sheet every game if available and the drop off to defensive partner Kurt Zouma was noticeable on the Champions League stage.