Chelsea: Matic and Mazacar in the mix for all-time best partnerships
4. Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante (Nate Hofmann)
Classic big-little combo, Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante complemented each other in every possible way: power vs. pace, domination vs. guile, enforcer vs. technician. In the middle of Antonio Conte’s famous 3-4-3, the odd couple was the engine of an entertaining and ruthlessly efficient Chelsea side that won the Premier League at a canter.
In a league where 4-2-3-1 was the accepted norm, a two-man midfield seemed misguided at best. But what the pair lacked in incisive passing and goal scoring, they made up for in steeliness and impenetrability.
It was clear from the get-go that Kante was the more impressive player. Having just arrived from the miraculous title-winning Leicester City side, the tiny Frenchman not only proved his quality right away, but went to another level entirely. Even if Chelsea were literally outmanned in midfield, Kante, as the cliche goes, seemed able to be in two places at once.
Matic, to his credit, was the perfect foil for someone like Kante. What the Serbian lacked in finesse, he made up for in strength and aggressiveness, and could produce the odd stunner when the mood struck him. His screamer in the FA Cup semifinal against Tottenham was arguably Chelsea’s goal of the season.
The only fair criticism of the partnership is that it didn’t last longer. Matic left to rejoin Jose Mourinho in Manchester the following summer, and his absence certainly contributed to Chelsea’s generally underwhelming 2017/18 season.
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It was a bit of a “ships passing in the night” situation, but the pair made for one of Chelsea most unique and successful midfield partnerships.