Chelsea star Cole Palmer stole the headlines once again on Sunday after his excellent strike against Aston Villa.
Cole Palmer also managed to register an assist, so he really did play a big part in Chelsea‘s 3-0 victory.
The attacking midfielder has since come in for a lot of praise. After the game, Enzo Maresca claimed that Palmer was different to other players.
One of his teammates, however, deserves just as much praise, if not more, after his contribution to Chelsea’s win.
Moises Caicedo sacrifices himself
With Reece James out injured and Malo Gusto just returning to the squad, Moises Caicedo had to play at right-back on Sunday.
As a midfielder who is at the top of his game right now, did he want to play there? Probably not, but the 23-year-old did not make a fuss about it and ended up putting in another excellent performance.
Despite starting in Chelsea’s defence, Caicedo still managed to register three key passes. The Ecuadorian also made two tackles and two interceptions, showing that he still did his defensive work.
Coming into midfield at times, Caicedo was heavily involved in the match, touching the ball 76 times.
| Moises Caicedo’s stats vs Aston Villa | Total |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Tackles | 2 |
| Interceptions | 2 |
| Dribbled past | 0 |
| Ground duels won | 3 |
| Aerial duels won | 1 |
| Key passes | 3 |
| Touches | 76 |
Despite playing at right-back, Chelsea fans were quick to compare Caicedo to N’Golo Kante, a club legend. Last month, Romeo Lavia described Caicedo as an “amazing player”.
Chelsea’s second most important player
Sacrificing himself by playing in defence and putting in an incredible display, Caicedo was the real hero in Chelsea’s latest win.
Palmer remains top dog and that was clear to see from his own performance after the 22-year-old’s goal and assist against Villa.
However, in terms of the second most important player in Chelsea’s squad, that title probably belongs to Caicedo.
Without him, their midfield would just not be the same. Maresca is getting the best out of the Ecuador international right now, even at right-back. If that continues while the likes of Palmer and Jackson keep scoring, maybe Chelsea can push Liverpool all the way in this season’s title race.
Arne Slot has already warned everyone about Chelsea, who are currently nine points behind his Liverpool team.
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