Manchester City midfielder Rodri has given his assessment of Chelsea and their summer signings after his side’s 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge yesterday.
Two of Chelsea‘s recent recruits, Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer, both managed to get on the scoresheet. And Rodri, speaking to Sky Sports after the game, was quick to highlight that the Blues really strengthened their squad in the last transfer window.
Thiago Silva and Raheem Sterling were the other two Chelsea players who were able to register on the day.
As for City, Rodri was the man who scored his side’s fourth goal, which came after Erling Haaland’s brace and a header from Manuel Akanji.
Rodri talks Chelsea
Rodri thinks the level at Chelsea has gone up after all of their summer business.
In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, the Spaniard said: “We know how tough it is to come here. The team they built, of course they have great players. They signed massive players, like five, six, seven and the level of the team has risen.”
Has Chelsea’s level gone up this season?
Chelsea are only a couple of places higher than where they finished in the 2022/23 campaign, but they have drastically improved.
Their league position may suggest otherwise, but the forwards are starting to score and they just look like a much better footballing side, even if that has not always translated into wins.
When you look at Jackson, for example, he has been heavily criticised this season but now has six goals in 11 Premier League appearances after his latest strike. To put that into perspective, last term, Kai Havertz only managed to net seven times in 35 top-flight outings. It is a number Jackson is going to smash.
Regarding Chelsea as a whole, they have drawn to City, Arsenal and Liverpool at home and beaten Tottenham Hotspur away.
Last season, the Blues took just one point from the very same fixtures. They are a much better team now compared to that campaign under Frank Lampard and Graham Potter.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
