Trevoh Chalobah: The unlikely breakout star in Chelsea's title bid

 

For the first time since his appointment in January, Thomas Tuchel faced his first real mini-crisis as Chelsea boss. The Blues fell to a 1-0 loss to Manchester City at the end of September, a game that, on the balance of play, they deserved to lose. That was followed up by a 1-0 defeat to Juventus in Turin, a match Chelsea dominated, yet fell to a Federico Chiesa strike shortly after the restart. 

 

Saturday's welcome of bogey side Southampton proved tougher than looked on paper with the Blues heading towards a 1-1 draw with the south coast side as the clock ticked towards 90. Fortunately for Tuchel and Chelsea, Saints captain James Ward-Prowse received his marching orders 13 minutes from time and the capital side maximised their numerical advantage as, five minutes from time, they wrapped up the victory courtesy of goals from Timo Werner and Ben Chilwell. 

 

Come full time, the sense of relief was palpable. Chelsea head into the international break on the back of a win, ending a tough week on a high. Getting the better of a Saints side that had come away from Stamford Bridge with a result on their previous three visits to west London was also a welcome boost as Chelsea soared to the top of the pile. 

 

Victory also marked another strong showing from Trevoh Chalobah, who has been a surprise package under Tuchel this term. Chalobah spent last season on loan with Ligue 1 side Lorient, and earned a modest WhoScored rating of 6.82 in the process. What's notable though is that just 13 of his 24 league starts in 2020/21 came at centre-back. During his time with Ipswich and Huddersfield between 2018 and 2020, the 22-year-old started just two of 65 league games in defence. 

 

Yet in his three league starts this season, Chalobah has operated on the right of Tuchel's favoured three-man backline and excelled in the role. A WhoScored rating of 7.64 is the best of all centre-backs to make four or more appearances this season, while interestingly, only Romelu Lukaku (3) has scored more league goals than the 22-year-old (2) in England's top tier this term. 

 

 

Over the summer, Chalobah was expected to leave on yet another loan before the transfer window closed at the end of August, yet as the Blues struggled to agree a fee for Sevilla's Jules Kounde, Tuchel was convinced that his future is best served in west London. It may be a small sample size, but Chalobah is certainly repaying the faith shown in him by Tuchel. 

 

The Blues have won the five matches he has started this season, albeit two of which were via a penalty shootout against Villarreal and Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup and Carabao Cup, respectively. The two games they have lost, though, Chalobah played just 28 minutes off the bench, those coming in the defeat at Juventus. 

 

Being a midfielder by trade has also eased Chalobah's switch to centre-back in this current system and he has the mobility and technical qualities to succeed in a three-man backline, where the wider centre-backs are required to step out into midfield. Chalobah is not fazed by pressure from opponents, noted in that only Mateo Kovacic (15) and Lukaku (8) have completed more dribbles than the defender (6) of all Chelsea players in the Premier League this season, doing so with a 100% success rate. 

 

A willingness to get the ball forward and set Chelsea on the front foot has also helped Chalobah and the Blues this season with an average of 19.8 forward passes per game the fourth most at the club. This allows for rapid transitions from defence to attack and it means that while the Blues rank sixth for possession (53%), their average of 5.3 shots on target per game is fourth in England's top tier this term as they win the ball and break quickly. 

 

What's crucial too is that Chalobah's fine start to the campaign has bought Chelsea time in the transfer market. As Sevilla kept moving the goalposts in negotiations for Kounde, Chalobah took the chance to consolidate a first team role and this has potentially saved the club upwards of £60m that can be used to strengthen elsewhere. Of course, Antonio Rudiger's contract standoff means Chelsea may yet dip into the market again in January should be they need to sell the German rather than lose him on a free, which would likely see the Blues rekindle their interest in Kounde or make a move for Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt, the Dutchman another centre-back they have been linked with. 

 

Nevertheless, it's a feel-good story that has sat well with supporters, who can take joy in seeing an academy player succeed at the club. And if Chelsea are to launch a sustained title push, then Chalobah could prove a key man in that quest for domestic glory. He already has one winners' medal this season. Early signs suggest that a second is certainly a distinct possibility.

Trevoh Chalobah: The unlikely breakout star in Chelsea's title bid