Pat Nevin was completely taken aback by one moment of Mason Mount’s Champions League performance for Chelsea.
Speaking to Off The Ball, Nevin was reliving the Blues recent historic night in Europe.
Chelsea outwitted Manchester City, partly owed to Pep Guardiola’s overcomplication in his team selection.
A calm finish from Kai Havertz in the first half was eventually the deciding factor, set up by a beautiful assist from Mount.
But that wasn’t the Englishman’s only contribution to the match.
Before his very eyes
Nevin, who was in the stadium to watch his beloved club be crowned European champions, witnessed a remarkable piece of defending from the 22-year-old star.
He recalled: “There was a moment, I think it was about 20 minutes in, where (Kevin) De Bruyne eventually actually got the better of (Ben) Chilwell.
“He turned to go inside, from 20-yards on the right-hand side. Now he’s in major, perfect De Bruyne territory.
“Then he’s tackled by Mount. At the game, I could see where Mount had come from. It was jaw dropping.
“He had spotted it from 60-yards away. He gave it that full pelt ‘I know what’s going on here.’ That was Kante-esque.”
Marathon Mount
It says a lot about Mount’s quality that he is now being recognised for his defensive duties, as well as his talents going forward.
A seemingly bottomless pit of energy allows him to cover all areas of the pitch.
This is a skill that N’Golo Kante has championed since he arrived in England.
With both he and Mount roaming the midfield, City was hardly afforded room to breathe during the final.
Combine that alongside Chelsea’s excellent organisation, it was always going to be a struggle for Guardiola’s men to secure victory.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
