Chelsea put in a performance last night that will have silenced a number of doubters, with one player in particular having a bigger role than many will give him credit for.
The Blues booked their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup with a big 3-1 win over Aston Villa away from home.
Goals from Conor Gallagher and Nicolas Jackson put them two goals up in the first half, however it was the third goal which really captured people’s attention.
Enzo Fernandez struck a superb free-kick to put Chelsea in an unassailable position in the second half, which put the cap on a brilliant outing in Blue.
The World Cup winner has come in for praise from all quarters, with teammates, pundits and manager Mauricio Pochettino really impressed by what they saw.
There is one player who deserves plenty of credit too who may not take quite as many headlines.
Malo Gusto has been featuring probably more than he would have expected in his first season in Blue off the back of the injuries suffered by club captain Reece James.
Gusto deserves big credit for Chelsea performance
However, he has shown in recent weeks he can play that role to great effect, and this continued at Villa Park last night.
The 20-year-old provided a glorious cross for Jackson to head home, showcasing the club have not lost all their attacking threat from the position without James.
Defensively he was also at the top of his game last night, with the inexperienced back four showing they can certainly hold things down.
Supporters will now be hoping that he be remain fit for the coming weeks, with it clear just how much of a downgrade it is when he is not in the side.
This could see Mauricio Pochettino have to bite the bullet and substitute the £30m signing during games in order to protect him.
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