After a convincing 4-1 thrashing of Premier League newboys Bournemouth, Chelsea FC’s Nemanja Matic was in a jovial mood, comparing himself to Zinedine Zidane.
Saturday afternoon saw Chelsea FC turn on the style for the first time in recent memory. The Blues romped to victory over a Bournemouth side that has impressed this season, dispatching them 4-1 on their home turf. Speaking after the final whistle, Nemanja Matic was in a relaxed mood as he discussed his performance, jokingly comparing himself to Zinedine Zidane
Being interviewed by the club’s in-house TV channel, Chelsea TV, the midfielder talked about the team’s display and the reassurance that the result brought them. He was also asked about his personal show and his delightful assist for Eden Hazard’s second goal, leaving him to draw a comparison with one of the greatest.
"I think that I played like Zidane…[laughs]…normal for me."
Matic has been far from Zidane throughout this campaign, putting in repeated abject performances. However, no matter your views on how the season has panned out, it is great to see smiles back on the faces of Chelsea players.
Guus Hiddink has done a terrific job in restoring some pride to this Blues squad, but the fact that they have been frequently set-back by a result similar to the 3-0 loss against Manchester City shows that there is much work to do over the summer.
A starting point is the players actually enjoying their jobs again and the Bournemouth result helped in that sense. Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard ran riot over a Cherries side that admittedly had little to play for, but the team performance was nevertheless a spirit-raiser.
Chelsea looked more impressive than they have done all season and it was reflected in the nature of their display. There was quick passing and deft touches, many of the features that have been missing over the last eight months or so.
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Of course, one result does not indicate that the Blues will be back in the title hunt next campaign, but if the club can close out the season in similar fashion there will certainly be more optimism abound heading into the summer.
[H/T We Ain’t Got No History]