Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino hailed Thiago Silva following Saturday’s narrow win over Luton Town.
The Blues wrapped up 2023 by securing a 3-2 away victory at Luton, but it was a tense finish to the memorable Premier League game.
Cole Palmer (two) and Noni Madueke were on the scoresheet for Chelsea, who actually went 3-0 ahead at one stage. However, Mauricio Pochettino’s side were hanging on in stoppage time after two Luton goals.
Now, there’s a chance in the New Year to try build some momentum after back-to-back league victories. There’s also a Carabao Cup semi-final tie with Middlesbrough just around the corner.
Pochettino did give a special mention to Thiago Silva, 39, after his display this afternoon.
The veteran centre-back was extremely solid and made some vital interceptions in defence, something we’ve become so used to seeing from him.
When discussing Silva’s performance, Pochettino told BBC Sport: “It is amazing, 39 years old and still playing like a 20-year-old. He brings his experience to the team and he is doing really well.”
Thiago Silva against Luton
We’ve run out of superlatives to describe Silva’s performances in the Premier League at the age of 39. It’s remarkable that he’ll turn 40 next September!
Him and Axel Disasi were a great centre-half combination on the weekend, albeit the cracks started to appear in defence during a frantic ending at Kenilworth Road.
Speaking via TNT Sports 1 in post-match analysis, Jermaine Jenas said Silva was “different class” versus Luton.
Silva will leave a huge hole in the Blues defence if he leaves at the end of the season when his current contract expires.
Despite his age, the £110-a-week defender (Spotrac) is still regularly the heartbeat in the Chelsea backline most weeks.
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