Chelsea: Willian quietly and steadily on track for a career-best season

Willian powered Chelsea’s 4-0 in every possible way, from scoring two goals in the first half to icing Hull City’s penalty-taker to preserve the clean sheet in the second. The 2015/16 Player of the Year is quietly on track for a career-best season.

Two years ago Willian was one of the few players to show up consistently for Chelsea and play for the shirt. While the locker room was torn apart by all things Jose Mourinho, Willian was a source of Chelsea’s limited offence, particularly with his pitch-perfect free-kicks. Even so, last year he found himself in a weekly battle with Pedro to be the starting right winger opposite Eden Hazard. Willian vs. Pedro and Matic vs. Fabregas were the only choices Antonio Conte faced for his XI.

This season, Chelsea’s inconsistency in central midfield and defence, injuries at striker and lack of depth on the flanks have dominated the squad rotation conversation. Willian and Pedro have played almost identical minutes: 2,073 for the Brazilian, and only five fewer for the Spaniard. But the gap in quality between the two is massive, and growing.

Willian has 10 goals and 10 assists across four competitions this season. Only Eden Hazard has been responsible for more offence, with 15 goals and nine assists. Willian’s 10 assists went to eight different players: only Pedro has multiple goals courtesy of Willian.

With three multi-goal games since December 12, Willian’s output has him only a few games away from his best season at Chelsea. In 2015/16 he had 11 goals and 10 assists in all competitions. Last campaign he had 12 goals and five assists.

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Willian started his Friday with the Premier League Goal of the Month award for his intricately worked score against Brighton. He finished the day with two goals, three key passes and six dribbles against Hull City. Most of those actions came in the overwhelmingly Blue first half. In the 50′, he made a smiling remark to Hull City’s David Meyler as the teams set themselves for Meyler’s penalty kick. Willian’s ice-them-with-kindness combined with Olivier Giroud signalling to Caballero to help keep the Tigers off the board.

Willian was the “swing” player to transition Chelsea between the 3-4-3 and 3-5-2. He covered the entire pitch, and his involvement stats place him perfectly between the forwards and the midfielders. He took 67 touches, just a few more than the wing-backs and over twice the amount of either Pedro or Olivier Giroud. His 46 passes equalled Emerson’s tally and nearly trebled those of the forwards. His play spanned the full dimensions of Hull’s half, and came all the way back to the top of Chelsea’s box on defence.

Willian played the full 90 minutes against Hull, while Pedro came off at half-time. Perhaps Antonio Conte wanted Willian to have a chance for the hat trick, or he simply did not want to withdraw his best winger. A more likely prospect is Conte intends to start Pedro against Barcelona on Tuesday, and hold Willian in reserve.

Willian deserves the start over Pedro. His best performances this season have come as a starter. He is not the type of player who comes on and drastically shifts the movement, style or balance of play. Willian influences a game – and a season, and a club – persistently, quietly.

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At a club so often split between glory and turmoil, Willian somehow manages to keep an enormous amount of skill and quality just out of the glare of the spotlights.