Chelsea will be aiming to build on their recent results as the Premier League resumes this weekend after the last international break until next year.
Mauricio Pochettino has led his men to a 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur before drawing with current champions Manchester City and confidence appears to be high in the camp.
Several of his players were outstanding in both ties. Cole Palmer scored a last-minute equaliser against his former club, while Conor Gallagher proved his worth playing just off Nicolas Jackson as he made two key passes against City – following on from the five he made against Spurs.
There were a couple of players who failed to impress, however, as Moises Caicedo struggled majorly against the Etihad outfit.
Moises Caicedo’s game in numbers vs City
The youngster has failed to live up to his vast hype since sparking a transfer war during the summer window, with Liverpool having also been desperate to win the race for the emerging talent.
The Blues were the ones to secure his signature, but his performance against the champions wouldn’t have filled Pochettino with confidence.
Indeed, he won just 33% of his total duels throughout the tie as he started alongside Enzo Fernández at the heart of the midfield and he also took just 39 touches during his time on the pitch.
Caicedo lost possession five times too, and he was given a match rating of just 4/10 by GOAL for his display as they claimed he was ‘a bit of a passenger in the first half’ and he will need to improve over the coming weeks.
The Argentinian may ditch the former Brighton starlet for the tie against Newcastle United this afternoon. The question is, who will replace him?
The players who can replace Moises Caicedo
The obvious answer at this moment in time is Gallagher, as the Englishman could drop slightly deeper into a central midfield role and this would allow Palmer to move into the number ten slot.
While he has been excellent in a more forward-thinking role, Gallagher can also shine at the base of the Chelsea midfield.
When compared to positional peers, the midfielder ranks in the top 4% for tackles per 90 (2.58) and the top 1% for both blocks (1.95) and interceptions (1.39) per 90, demonstrating how effective he is defensively.
Pochettino could also call on the services of Lesley Ugochukwu as the 19-year-old would be able to step in for Caicedo in the midfield area.
He has only started one Premier League match so far this season – the 0-0 draw against Bournemouth – yet it is evident he has wonderful potential, and he could perhaps stake his claim for more regular game time should he impress against the Magpies.
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The former Paris Saint-Germain coach is still missing midfielders Romeo Lavia and Carney Chukwuemeka through injury and once they both return, he will have plenty of options to choose from.
Until then, however, he may have to tinker slightly with his starting XI, but the Ecuadorian gem must be dropped to the bench for the clash against Newcastle today, especially following his poor display a few weeks ago.
