Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has been full of praise for the performance of Thiago Silva last night in the 4-1 win over Tottenham.
The boss told the official website that the impact of the experienced defender was crucial to his sides performance in the win in North London.
The scoreline barely scratches the surface in what was a mental Premier League game for everyone involved.
Nicolas Jackson had been struggling badly for the majority of the game, however he left with the match ball following a hat-trick in the final 20 minutes of the game.
Chelsea’s young core was on show as they struggled with ideas to break down their nine-man opponents. It was one of the notable times this season they have looked like they were lacking leadership on the pitch.
One player who stepped up in this category though was Silva, who used all of his experience when the Blues were struggling late on too.
Pochettino praises Silva
He continued his run of starting every Premier League game this season, and his composure last night showed exactly why he has been an ever-present.
The return of Axel Disasi to centre-back saw Levi Colwill return to the left of defence, where he looked as if he was struggling with the occasion and was substituted at half-time.
Pochettino was full of praise for the Brazilian after another superb display at the back.
He said: “Of course, he is an unbelievable player, and he is really important for us.”
Silva’s leadership and abilities will be needed again at the weekend when things don’t get any easier in the Premier League for Chelsea.
They are looking forward to welcoming Manchester City to Stamford Bridge, as their tough run of fixtures continue to mount up.
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