Chelsea: Billy Gilmour is the fully-rounded midfielder the Blues have lacked

With two impressive performances, Billy Gilmour is at Chelsea to stay, and may bench some star players ahead of schedule.

After two impressive performances and two consecutive Man of The Match awards, Billy Gilmour has shown that he is ready to play on a regular basis. This isn’t just because there aren’t any other options. He is everything Chelsea need.

At just 18 years of age, Gilmour has stepped up and done the job that not many can. These performances will put teammates on their toes, knowing that he is capable of benching them.

During the 4-0 trashing of Everton, the youngster outperformed the opposition and even some of his teammates.

It is important, however, to point out that Everton were awful the entire 90 minutes. They provided Chelsea all of the possible space, which Chelsea used towards the Toffees’ demise. Gilmour always found himself with time to pick a pass or make a run. But that does not take away from the fact that young Scottish player took advantage of the opportunities afforded him. That is what could lead him to permanently taking a midfield position in the starting XI.

Gilmour’s passes are precise in their timing and effectiveness. This is by far his most impressive attribute as a player. Despite being so young, he knows and understands when and how to pass, weighing the circumstances.

At all times against Everton and Liverpool, he knew when to pass the ball back; when to pass it forward; when to pass quickly; or when to run with the ball to free a teammate. Although these may seem simple prerequisites for any midfielder, Chelsea have been missing the precise creativity Gilmour provides.

He doesn’t just pass the ball to his nearest player, nor does he limit himself and his teammates with short horizontal passes. Rather, Gilmour looks for the best available option, whether that is a defender behind him or an attacker upfield. His decision is situational and allows the flow of the play to continue. He does not force the team to uselessly keep possession; neither does he prematurely play a pass forward. Gilmour’s understanding of his surroundings leads him to pick out the best option.

When it comes to formulating an attack, the youngster often looks for the pass between the lines and into the pockets.

While most players hesitate on making this pass because there is a higher chance of losing the ball, Gilmour does it often and at the right time. He doesn’t wait for teammates to support the move, but he is also not overly speculative, passing when and where no one can provide immediate assistance. He identifies the right moment to allow fluidity in the attack.

These types of passes allow Chelsea to cut open the opposition and build movement up the field. He makes life difficult for the opposition, and keeps things simple for his team.

On the other hand, “wee” Billy Gilmour is capable of defending without pointing fingers or depending on others to do the job for him. Gilmour takes responsibility for his duties and performs them. What makes him so good at defending is the ability to anticipate the attack, and switch to a defensive mindset before the any attack develops.

Although he does not have the stature or the physique to go against most players in the Premier League, Gilmour is not scared of a challenge. In fact, he has put himself into tackles where most wouldn’t even consider going for it, and he still wins the ball. But his challenges are not random, rash or uncoordinated. He knows when they are necessary and how to make them. This allows a teammate to recover the ball from what was just a dangerous position.

Gilmour is regularly in the right place at the right time. While some call it luck, in this case is extreme tactical pitch awareness.

His ability to defend depends on his positioning, something he clearly masters. Gilmour places himself between two players in anticipation of passes; in front of them to prevent them from passing through; or directs them to a teammate, which forces mistakes from the opposition.

These features of his game set him apart from other Chelsea players.

Not once do we see him pointing or blaming someone else if a player skips by. No player ever does because he has his angles covered and is aware of his surroundings.

Billy Gilmour is the player to watch for the remainder of the season. His abilities still have yet to be tested to the fullest. In his last two games he faced a weak Liverpool team in the FA Cup and an underperforming Everton in the Premier League. However, his talent is undeniable, and he is surely going to raise to any challenge.

One could even think that he is ready to face Bayern Munich in a couple of weeks to help Chelsea turn the tables.