As we continue our series evaluating and rating the performances of Chelsea FC players over the last campaign, Asmir Begovic is the latest to be scrutinised.
Asmir Begovic may be ruing his move to Chelsea by now. The goalkeeper joined the Blues last summer to fill the spot that Petr Cech vacated after his Arsenal switch. Coming over in a £8 million deal and with over 150 Premier League games under his belt, he was hoping to force his way into the first team.
The Bosnian enjoyed significantly more football than fans may have expected, with Thibaut Courtois falling foul of red cards and suspensions. He was called into action in the first game of the season, after the first-choice goalkeeper was sent off. Hence, he started the following clash with Manchester City.
Courtois then suffered a leg injury in September, leaving Begovic with an uninterrupted run in the side until December. He performed more than admirably during this period, often winning points for the Blues (or saving them further embarrassment).
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However, it was not enough to completely displace Courtois as he immediately dropped to the bench once he was fully fit again.
Begovic featured sparingly throughout the rest of the season, even though Courtois’ performances were called into question by fans and pundits alike. Another red card from the Belgian gave the 28-year-old a couple more games towards the end of the campaign, but with Chelsea having nothing to play for, there was little significance attached to this.
Nevertheless, the Bosnian was impressive whenever he was called upon. This seemed to shock quite a few Blues fans, but with little reason. Begovic came to Stamford Bridge with a wealth of Premier League experience and a proven track-record. Hence, if anything he should have been expected to step up to the plate appropriately.
Unfortunately, Chelsea’s porous defence meant that despite some heroics, he only managed to keep eight clean sheets in all competitions. With 25 appearances to his name, that is a statistically damning record.
However, in a season of utter mediocrity, Begovic proved why Chelsea were willing to part with close to £10 million for him. Some fans even called for him to start ahead of Courtois as the latter struggled to find form. Guus Hiddink stuck with the Belgian, though.
Next: Defending Chelsea FC’s youth strategy
It will be an interesting off-season for Begovic. Antonio Conte will likely keep Courtois as his first choice man between the sticks so the former Stoke keeper will need to decide whether he wants to play second-fiddle for another year.