Glenn Hoddle saw enough from Trevoh Chalobah during the draw with Liverpool to confidently predict further growth from the Chelsea defender.
Speaking on Premier League Production after Sunday’s scintillating 2-2 encounter, Hoddle focused in on Chalobah’s performance.
Chalobah’s trials and tribulations vs Liverpool
The 22-year-old had an indifferent evening under the Stamford Bridge lights.
It was his mistimed header that allowed Sadio Mane in for Liverpool’s opener, just moments after Christian Pulisic had squandered a similar chance down the other end.
This type of mistake, on such a significant occasion, could totally crush a young player.
“He didn’t start so well. He’s been playing so well since he came in. That is so casual at the start of a game,” said Hoddle on Chalobah’s unforced error.
“Big centre-half, go and head it, get it away, be dominant. He’s tried to cushion it down to Thiago Silva here and he’s laid Mane in.
“It’s the last thing you want when you start such a big game like this as well. There’s a little bit of doubt that goes into your mind.
Learn from those mistakes
However, the centre-back picked himself up from the surface and sort about writing his wrongs.
He made a brilliant tackle on Mohammed Salah just as the Egyptian was lining up for his second of the game.
According to WhoScored.com, Chalobah finished the match with a passing accuracy of 86.8%, one of the highest tallies on the night.
He also had the sixth most touches (81) of any Chelsea player and completed the second-most tackles (three) and interceptions (three).
Unfortunately, his display was cut short by injury at the 69-minute mark.
More to come from the Chelsea youngster
Overall, it was a fine lurving curve for the Cobham academy scholar, as he continues on a path of development.
“He swung his game round in the end to be fair. He didn’t let it affect him so for long, but there I was a period of time I felt that he had a little bit of a wobble, which happens with a young kid,” continued Hoddle.
“The signal to me is that he turned his game around quickly within 90 minutes, so perhaps he doesn’t have that much to learn going forward and he will kick on again.”
One blunder will certainly not define Chalobah’s season.
From making his senior Chelsea debut in the UEFA Super Cup final, to scoring on his first Premier League appearance for the Blues and netting in the Champions League, things are only looking up for the boy from Sierra Leone.
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