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Chelsea four lessons learnt against Rennes: Depth, balance

By Tan Yi Hao

Chelsea's Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta (L) fights for the ball with Rennes' French forward James Lea Siliki during the UEFA Champions League Group E football match between Stade Rennais FC and Chelsea FC at the Roazhon Park stadium in Rennes, western France, on November 24, 2020. (Photo by DAMIEN MEYER / AFP) (Photo by DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea's Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta (L) fights for the ball with Rennes' French forward James Lea Siliki during the UEFA Champions League Group E football match between Stade Rennais FC and Chelsea FC at the Roazhon Park stadium in Rennes, western France, on November 24, 2020. (Photo by DAMIEN MEYER / AFP) (Photo by DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 19: Mason Mount of Chelsea looks on during the FA Cup Semi Final match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on July 19, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alastair Grant/Pool via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 19: Mason Mount of Chelsea looks on during the FA Cup Semi Final match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on July 19, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alastair Grant/Pool via Getty Images) /

4. Mason Mount, Chelsea through and through

First, it was the school of thought that £72m Kai Havertz was going to spell the end of Mason Mount’s young career as a “passion merchant” and a “Duracell bunny” with neither talent nor skill. Then came the calls for Mason Mount to be axed from England’s starting eleven in favor of Jack Grealish despite the fact that both players play in different positions. Yet, amidst all these negativity which has driven Mount to avoid social media as much as he can these days, the fact remains that the Englishman still starts and play for both club and country on a regular basis.

For the fans who are still unable to comprehend what exactly is it that Mason Mount continues to be favored by those who coach him, Tuesday’s opening goal against Rennes epitomizes everything that Mount represents. From the initial pressing of the opposition and winning the ball off him cleanly to pinging a cross-field ball for Callum Hudson-Odoi to run in and score with pinpoint accuracy, Mount displayed the tenacity, work-rate and technique that makes him such a talent in the eyes of his managers. And as much as Mount makes bad judgements from time to time which rightfully opens him up for criticism, this is, at the end of the day, a 21-year-old still learning and developing his craft. Playing for England and Chelsea at the age of 21 is no mean feat in on itself and it is about time fans and more specifically, Chelsea fans truly came around to what exactly Mount brings to the teams he plays for.

Next. Chelsea's young superstars are the epitome of Frank Lampard. dark

What lessons did you learn from the match? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!

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