Chelsea: Willian’s total output explains why he is an obvious choice in the XI
Willian is often touted as an inconsistent, low output footballer. In fact, he is and has been one of Chelsea’s most consistent players for many years.
Willian’s being a winger is at the root of so many misunderstanding about his role in the team and subsequent misrepresentations of his value to Chelsea FC. His misunderstood role has produced plenty of disgruntlement over why an unbroken succession of managers have kept him in the team.
Goals and assists have often been the go-to metric for comparing – and slandering – players, even to the point of comparing Willian’s numbers to Frank Lampard’s. How desperate do you have to be to compare a player’s numbers to one of the most impressive and most technically gifted midfielders ever to grace the league?
That said, Willian’s value to Chelsea is not in his goal contributions, though he goes contribute with goals, but is in all the other things. The things other attacking players are hardly ever bothered to do. Willian’s numbers are a reflection of why he keeps getting selecting, not the other way around.
He doesn’t rack up so many tackles because he starts so many games. Rather he keeps starting so many games because he is racking up so many tackles…and key passes…and dribbles…and…
Out of Chelsea’s wingers who have appeared more than 10 times this season, including Mason Mount, Willian has more tackles per game (1.4) than any other. Mason Mount unsurprisingly comes in second (1.1). Callum Hudson-Odoi (0.5) trails the pack. Willian also leads the wingers in interceptions per game (0.7) with Mount also coming in second (0.4). Christian Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi are at the bottom again (0.2).
In defensive actions, Willian leads the wingers. Still wonder why he keeps getting selected?
“But wingers are supposed to attack and create chances! Why are you judging them on defensive actions?”
Of all Chelsea’s wingers, Willian has made more key passes per game than any other winger (1.9). Mount – again – comes in second in this category (1.5). Willian has made 53 key passes in the Premier League so far this season – ninth most in the league. Mount has made 44.
Chance creation? Willian has created nine big chances this season, Mount is second with seven, Hudson-Odoi follows with five.
With all of these numbers, it is obvious why Willian and Mason Mount keep getting selected. They’re not selected just because of their defensive actions, but for the style of play that Lampard and many other managers want to play. The attackers have to be the first line of defence, which means attackers take on some defending duties.
In Willian, you have a winger who will not only contribute to attacking, but will take the load off defenders and defensive players as well.
Chelsea's best tackling forwards. Willian leads among current Blues, but no one comes close to Oscar. light
Players like Willian create a platform for more creative players to flourish. They cannot be depended on for goals, because that is not the role they are meant to play. Yes, they are attackers, but they play a slightly different role than conventional attacking players.
This is why even though Willian doesn’t contribute many goals, he is invaluable to the team.
And to top it all off, Willian and Mason Mount have made 10 goal contributions each, albeit with a lot more game time than the other wingers.
Many people groan because Willian is not Mohamed Salah, Raheem Sterling, or Sadio Mane, who win Golden Boots occasionally because of how much they contribute in goals. But these people don’t see what Willian actually does, and why Chelsea suffers when he doesn’t play.
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Frank Lampard can rely on defensive support from his wingers when he has Willian on the pitch. It is understandable to want to watch prospects like Callum Hudson-Odoi, but it is delusional to think that Hudson-Odoi’s contribution to the team is equal to, let alone greater than, Willian’s.