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Chelsea: Willian coming into form at business end of the season (Data viz)

By Dan Clark

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 20: Willian of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 First Leg match between Chelsea FC and FC Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on February 20, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images,)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 20: Willian of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 First Leg match between Chelsea FC and FC Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on February 20, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images,) /
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Willian has taken on the mantle as Chelsea’s main attacking threat in recent weeks, as he looks set for a strong end to the season.

Willian has been in majestic form for Chelsea over the last seven matches, netting five times and contributing an assist. This is an extremely impressive record considering those games included both ties against Barcelona and two trips to Manchester to face City and United.

Furthermore, he is making up for the comparatively weak performances of some of his teammates. The added burden does not seem to be affecting him, though. He contributed to 60% of his side’s goals in those seven games.

Following yet another excellent display in the victory against Leicester in the FA Cup on Sunday, manager Antonio Conte spoke glowingly of Willian:

"Willy played a fantastic game with the ball, without the ball. He is in a fantastic physical condition and I’m very pleased with his commitment and his contribution. – Independent"

It feels like a long time ago now, but Willian actually started the season poorly, scoring just twice in the first few months of the season. This was during the time when Eden Hazard was out injured and Chelsea fans could not wait for the Belgian to return and displace Willian.

Sometimes though, all it takes is a confidence-boosting performance to turn the season around. For Willian, that came against Qarabag in the Champions League, when he netted twice in a comfortable 5-0 win. Since that game in late November, he has contributed 18 goals across all competitions. Impressive for a player who until recently has not been guaranteed to start every game.

In terms of overall goal contribution, Eden Hazard leads the way with 22 (15 goals, seven assists), one ahead of Willian’s 21 (14 goals, seven assists). The two forwards are ahead of Alvaro Morata who sits third with 18 (13 goals, five assists). Willian has done this with slightly fewer minutes than the other two.

Next: Chelsea's starting XI heatmap: Which players pair nicely with each other?

Until recently, people had been calling the Blues a one-man team, referencing Eden Hazard’s brilliance. It’s fair to say Willian has been the leader of this Chelsea team in recent weeks. Chelsea fans will be hoping this continues until the end of the season, with a top-four place and FA Cup glory still to play for.

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