Chelsea supporters marveled at a piece of skill executed by Mateo Kovacic during the 2-0 FA Cup win over Sheffield United yesterday.
Kovacic pulled off a scorpion kick-pass that even Ronaldinho would’ve been proud off.
This moment of magic was captured by a Chelsea fan and allowed others to bask in its glory on social media.
The Blues classy Croatian is not averse to such instances of ingenuity.
He can often be found wriggling his way past a clutch of opponents thanks to his close control and velvet like touch.
His fame for being solid in possession is backed up by the statistics.
WhoScored.com states that Mateo Kovacic has averaged 1.8 successful dribbles per game in the Premier League this season; only Christian Pulisic has managed more for Chelsea.
But this is nothing new for the former Real Madrid midfielder.
What’s been an impressive development from the £40m (BBC Sport) signing is his ability to control games.
Thomas Tuchel now demands his team to be in total domination of the ball, a tactic that was not necessarily evident under Frank Lampard.
This commanding philosophy starts with Chelsea’s two central midfielders.
Kovacic, along with Jorginho and N’Golo Kante, have been the orchestraters of Tuchel’s choir as they set the tempo of proceedings with their passing.
Chelsea as a whole have been fine-tuned by their German coach, with Kovacic certainly striking all the right chords up to this point.
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