Since his return to west London from Benfica in Portugal, Nemanja Matic has quickly become one of Chelsea’s most important players. In a squad full of star names Matic stands out by way of his great passing, perfect positioning, and a superb defensive work rate. His talents are subtle but cannot be overshadowed. He has been lauded by players, coaches, and fans alike and it is not difficult to see why Nemanja Matic is the backbone of this stellar Chelsea team.
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When it comes to defensive proficiency very few consistently perform at the level Matic has since his return to Stamford Bridge – or even since his final year in Lisbon. Generally playing as the anchor in Chelsea’s midfield, he’s saddled with the responsibility of covering for the creativity of Cesc Fabregas while simultaneously disrupting key passes that are played through the center of the pitch. Incredibly, he has only been awarded five yellow cards in the premier league so far this season. Nemanja’s positioning makes it difficult for opposing teams to find success playing narrowly and his height makes route-one passing nearly impossible.
Blues’ captain John Terry was recently quoted comparing Matic to a player equally significant in Chelsea’s previous title runs:
"You look at the exciting days when the manager first came, and Claude Makelele was the master in that position where Matic plays and Matic is very close to that. We missed him at Newcastle."
Being mentioned in the same breath as a player of Makelele’s caliber – the player who revolutionized the position – is extraordinary but not unwarranted. Matic has been a class above the rest this season as far as defensive midfielders go and if anyone can perfect the Makelele position it’s the Serbian.
Not only has Matic been effortlessly occupying the first line of Chelsea’s defense, he’s been an excellent facilitator for the offense, as well. In possession he always looks for the forward pass. Whether it’s a long, incisive ball to a winger or a short outlet pass to an overlapping full back, Nemanja is as attack-minded as he is defensively proficient. So far in this premier league season Matic has completed 88 percent of his passes; eight of them have led to chances on goal. In a team full of attacking talent Matic is not asked to do much going forward, but what he does he does to near perfection.
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In the end, the most polarizing statistic attributed to Nemanja Matic’s importance is found in the win/loss column. Since rejoining Chelsea the Blues have only lost four games out of 40 when Matic was involved. For the ten in which he was absent the Blues have lost three and drawn four.
Matic is simply a winner. He’s a player whose importance is truly felt when he isn’t on the field, and underrated when he is on it. These are the reasons why Nemanja Matic has been the backbone of Chelsea’s success so far this season.