Chelsea cruised to the Premier League title this season. Many ideas and principles came together to create a formidable team, but deep down the Blues have one man to thank: Nathaniel Nyakie Chalobah.
Nathaniel Chalobah. The name sends shivers down the spine of even the most hardened Premier League veteran. For some he is a symbol of hope. For othersm a catalyst to the light. But unanimously he is a hero, a saviour in the mist.
Friday May 12 is a date that will resonate prominently in the minds of Chelsea fans: the day Chelsea won the title. But in truth, they settled the Premier League much, much before then.
Saturday, December 3, Chelsea were blessed by the intervention of a Prince.
More from The Pride of London
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea player ratings: Abysmal, reckless, wasteful
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea: 3 Blues talking points
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
In just his fourth appearance of the season, and after six loans around the country, Nathaniel Chalobah introduced himself to the world. After a thoroughly clinical performance away from home, the Blues looked set to see out the remaining few minutes of the match with no hassle.
Unfortunately for the London side, Sergio Aguero had other ideas.
Chasing a loose ball, he threw his entire body-weight towards David Luiz’s knees. Aguero’s was one of the worst attempted tackles in Premier League history. That is no mean feat in a league previously humbled by the presence of Roy Keane and Martin Keown. It was a leg breaker. Chelsea were lucky to get away with heavily strapping the Brazilian’s knee for a while.
In previous seasons, Aguero may have absorbed a stern talking to from John Terry, a glare from Ashley Cole, or a hefty poke by Diego Costa. Unfortunately for the Argentinian, Chelsea had their enforcer.
Without hesitation, the young Englishman rushed to his defender’s aid and screamed “ye shall not get away with such a heinous crime against our angel” (probably). He shoved the flailing striker towards the ground, and with it the entire Manchester City team, coaching staff, fans. In fact, with one flex of his biceps and the almighty strength of Hercules, son of Zeus, Nathaniel Chalobah sent the entire Premier League crashing to the dirt.
In all seriousness, that moment is easily a metaphor for Chelsea’s season. They were not about to take any nonsense from anyone.
More importantly, here was a player who had played very few minutes during the season. He did not care about the consequences. He instinctively proved Chelsea are a team united.
Next: Tactics and transfers: Making peace with Diego Costa staying at Chelsea
Also, it never fails to bring a smile to my face every time I see it.