If Cesc Fabregas just let his feet do the talking, he would still be on his way back to Chelsea’s regular XI. But just to be sure, he is telling Antonio Conte and the world that he is up for more.
Cesc Fabregas’ return to Chelsea’s lineup has been a series of unmistakable statements. Against Manchester City – his first game in over two months – he offered his suggestion for Assist of the Year with his pass to Diego Costa. He set things in motion for Costa’s winning goal against West Brom minutes after entering the game. At Sunderland, he finished off some short-pass play with Willian to give Chelsea the 1-0 win.
Fabregas looked as much a part of Chelsea’s bench as Branislav Ivanovic and the Carabao logo throughout October and November. Many people stopped asking how he would fit into Antonio Conte’s plans. Speculation focussed on which Serie A team he would play for next season.
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Through it all, Fabregas had other ideas. Just in case anyone is still unclear, he broke it down for us after the Sunderland match.
"People say I cannot defend but I recovered the ball, went forward and scored. It’s fantastic for me to score. I know what I can do but the problem is I haven’t had minutes, and if you don’t play you can’t show what you can do… I have a lot of players in front of me so I can pick passes between the lines, they run into space and I have protection behind me. I’m really enjoying [the 3-4-3] and I think it suits me a lot. – Chelsea FC"
Fabregas also took a moment to remind people that he has been around this game for a bit. The ex-Arsenal, ex-Barcelona, World Cup-winning midfielder swatted the footballing world’s short attention span.
"In football nowadays people forget very quickly who you are, what you’ve done and what you can do. Hopefully now I can have a run of games to keep my fitness up and show what I can do."
Given the footballing world’s continual need for shiny objects (hold on, Michy Batshuayi just posted something to Twitter), Cesc Fabregas’s highlight footage is putting him back in the fans’ good graces. Fortunately, the one person he actually needs to impress is much more cerebral.
Antonio Conte obviously appreciates the perfect passes to Diego Costa and the occasional goal. Conte is just as interested in how thoroughly Fabregas and N’Golo Kante controlled the flow of play in Chelsea’s midfield. Fabregas completed 98 passes against Sunderland: 18% of Chelsea’s total. Add to that Kante’s 72 passes, and the Blues’ central-midfielders accounted for one-third of Chelsea’s passing.
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Whereas Nemanja Matic reinforces Kante, Fabregas complements him. Fabregas would be a liability against a structured, attacking club like Tottenham or Liverpool. He would allow the midfield to be too open to the opposition’s press. Chelsea also may not need his vision and creativity as much when their opponent stretches across the pitch and opens space for the front three to roam.
But against deep-lying, constricting defences like Chelsea’s next three opponents, Fabregas may be the only Blue who can create real chances. N’Golo Kante will not need another holding midfielder against Crystal Palace or Stoke. Diego Costa will need any service he can get.
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Fabregas has now shown and told his best arguments for starting the next three games. Nemanja Matic will probably be back in the starting XI against Tottenham on 4 January. The prospect of Cesc Fabregas charging back and mixing it up on defence is even more far-fetched than Diego Costa’s saintly patience. Anything can happen, but within reason.