Cesc Fabregas ready to earn his way back into Chelsea’s starting XI
By Vishnu Raj
Cesc Fabregas is the only player to provide 10 or more assists in six Premier League seasons. After impressive per-90-minutes stats last season, he will play a crucial role in Chelsea’s Premier League defence and Champions League return.
Chelsea were desperate for a creative force in the midfield after the 2013/14 season. Frank Lampard had left the club. They sold Juan Mata after he did not impress Jose Mourinho. And Oscar was only seen as someone who could track back.
Jose Mourinho knew he would need goals to win the Premier League, and for that he needed someone in the middle to create opportunities. Since Cesc Fabregas was looking for a return to England from his not-so-fruitful stint at Spain, Mourinho knew Fabregas was the missing piece.
Cesc Fabregas signed for Chelsea despite heavy interest from Manchester United. He made a perfect start, with two brilliant assists in the first match of the season. He never looked back as he continued his form. Chelsea played some of their best football during the first six months of the season with Fabregas pulling the strings in the middle. He become an instant fan favorite, as the fans started singing about “the wizard.”
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Even though Mourinho changed the team’s style after January, Fabregas completed the season with an incredible 18 assists. He scored some vital goals, like the only goal against Queens Park Rangers towards the end of the season. He also scored a goal of the season candidate against Crystal Palace.
Like the rest of the team, Fabregas struggled during the 2015/16 campaign. Many accused him of giving up on his effort, which he rightfully denied. When Chelsea sacked Mourinho, very few offered words of gratitude to him in their social media accounts. Fabregas was one.
When Antonio Conte took over as head coach, fans expected to see Fabregas in the role Andrea Pirlo played under Conte in Italy. Even though Conte tried many formations, Fabregas could not break through to be his first choice. Rumors linked him with AC Milan when he was on the bench in the beginning of the season.
To make matters worse, an injury further reduced his chances to impress Conte. It was only due to an injury to first choice Nemanja Matic that Fabregas started the away match against Manchester City. He made the most of it with his brilliant over the top assist to Costa, changing the game in Chelsea’s favour. His playing time increased considerably after this match.
Even though he featured for just 1357 minutes as Matic remained the first choice, he still provided 12 assists. He surpassed 100 assists in the Premier league during this period. He scored important goals, too, like the match winner away at Sunderland.
Fabregas was disappointed not to start in the FA cup final. But he started several times towards the end of the season, scoring and creating goals. He made Conte pick him by working hard like a true professional, rather than blaming anyone or complaining.
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Cesc Fabregas stayed true to his words and worked hard to gain Conte’s trust. He is not the kind of player – like Matic – who wanted to move when the competition for a spot in the starting XI heated up. Cesc Fabregas will work hard to play his part in Chelsea’s quest for glory in the upcoming season.