Chelsea: Emerson is finally reaching his potential as a Blue

Emerson was brought in as a cheap alternative to Alex Sandro for Chelsea. He was hyped greatly and is finally living up to that potential.

Emerson was yet another player coming off a long term injury when he joined Chelsea. He joined in large part due to Chelsea’s failed pursuit of Alex Sandro. The Blues turned towards the player Juventus had their eye on if Sandro did depart and Emerson became a Chelsea player.

He saw little playing time under Antonio Conte and fans began to clamor for his appearances. But Emerson at the time was more of a byproduct of a particular type of hype that sees the grass as always greener. It is the same type of hype that causes fans to believe Reece James will walk right into the starting XI over Cesar Azpilicueta. It is the same hype that made many believe Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham would become heir apparents to Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

Emerson was largely preferred by many over Marcos Alonso not because he was actually a better player, but because of the juvenile judgement that speed is a be all and end all. But Emerson’s read of the game was, quite simply, terrible for the most part and he used his speed to brute force his way through that. That is, until 2019 and particularly this season. Now Emerson is not just hype and speed; he is the real deal.

Emerson is leading the team in tackles per WhoScored. His passing percentage, key passes, and interceptions are towards the top tier of the squad. He is one of the cleanest players as he forces few fouls. He has yet to be dribbled past. Only Mateo Kovacic and Ross Barkley are dribbling more.

Emerson is also leading the squad in average passes per game and crosses per game. Overall, if his position was averaged in all stats, Emerson would be near the top if not the top player at Chelsea right now.

That has been a growing trend throughout 2019 as his playing time has increased. Slowly, the hype around him has turned into actual potential and promise and it is not due to him being simply faster than Alonso. It is due to him actually improving in nearly every aspect of his game. Unnecessary decisions and mental lapses have largely fallen by the way side so that in the first handful of games this season, Alonso has not even had a sniff at the starting XI. Emerson has been that good.

It would be incorrect to say that if Emerson had been played more in 2018 that he would be like this now. The fact of the matter is that there was something both Conte and Maurizio Sarri saw in Emerson to make them hesitant for long periods of time. But at some point Emerson turned things around and Lampard is currently the greatest benefactor of it.

Going into this previous summer, were the transfer ban delayed or rescinded, a new left back seemed like a must. But just a few games into this season and it suddenly seems like a much lower priority.

Emerson took advantage of Alonso’s increasingly poor form last season and Lampard’s new “if you prove yourself, you will play approach”. Finally, the Italian fullback is living up to the hype that has followed him since he left Roma.