Jody Morris has described Chelsea’s Thiago Silva as the world’s best when it comes to the defensive skill of putting his body on the line.
Silva, 37, was involved in another excellent night’s work yesterday for the Blues in the Champions League.
Chelsea’s 2-0 home win against Lille gives them a strong aggregate lead in the Champions League last-16 tie. Thomas Tuchel’s side will be expected to finish the job and reach the quarter-finals when the second leg rolls around in Lille on 16 March.
Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic were both on the scoresheet in Tuesday night’s success, vindicating the decision from Tuchel to put striker Romelu Lukaku on the bench.
Ex-Chelsea assistant Morris was left in awe last night of Silva’s defensive clinic at the Bridge.
The veteran centre-back mopped up almost everything in his path with numerous blocks and clearances, as the side registered yet another clean sheet in the Champions League.
“Thiago Silva has done it at the top throughout his career and is just sweeping up things. He reads the game so well but when he needs to put his body on the line, he always does and there’s no-one better. He’s an all-round top-class player,” Morris told BBC Radio 5 Live (9:02pm, 22 February).
He later added (10:05pm, 22 February): “Thiago Silva was unbelievable – it does not seem like he is getting older one bit.”
Chelsea fans watching greatness
In fairness, Premier League audiences can be guilty of overlooking players just because they play in Ligue 1 or elsewhere in Europe.
For Chelsea fans, they’ve only truly become aware of Silva’s abilities since his arrival 18 months ago. However, he’s been a top-class operator and one of the best defenders in the game for well over a decade now.
It was another monstrous performance from him against Lille on the European stage, which suggests he’s far from finished.
He definitely belongs in the Brazilian national team with a World Cup on the horizon at the end of the year.
Blues manager Tuchel explained earlier this week how much he loves working with Silva, and it’s easy to see why when he plays like he does every game.
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