Chelsea four lessons learnt at Sevilla: Giroud steals the show

2. The Thiago Silva Effect is spreading

Chelsea has an established first-choice centerback partnership in Kurt Zouma and Thiago Silva. It’s the first time in a fair few seasons that one can confidently predict who will pair up in big matches. Big matches like a Champions League tie to secure first place in the group. So, of course, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger took the field.

In truth, this was always going to be an opportunity for rotation for both teams, with both having clinched spots in the knockout rounds. The difference between finishing first versus second, however, is meaningful. Slouching to second in an eminently winnable group was what earned Chelsea a shellacking at the hands of Bayern Munich last season. The Blues are likely to get a much friendlier draw this time around.

One could be excused for expecting a Benny Hill-esque defensive meltdown, filled with shanked clearances and bad positioning. Instead, Christensen and Rudiger turned in the type of stalwart defensive performance that has defined Chelsea’s excellent run of form over the last few months. It’s telling that this happened despite a distinct lack of Silva marshaling the defense.

This suggests two things: one, Edouard Mendy is the safety blanket Chelsea’s defenders have needed for the past two years. Two, Silva’s professionalism, experience and personality have begun to bleed into the rest of the centerbacks in the squad. In truth, both are true to one extent or another, but Silva’s influence was the more interesting of the two against Sevilla.

Rudiger led the team in blocked shots (4) and clearances (3), while Christensen registered two of each. Blocked shots are typically the product of excellent positioning, a skill that has alluded Rudiger for most of his time at Chelsea. Clearances are similar, and can speak to a defense’s organization—particularly during set pieces, something Chelsea has famously struggled with in recent seasons.

An excellent solution for this has been Silva yelling and pointing to direct everyone where they need to go (but not in the Jorginho way). Now, even without Silva, one can start to see the same confidence oozing from the other centerbacks. Rudiger has always been vocal, though that didn’t necessarily mean he was properly leading the defense in the classic John Terry fashion. Christensen has always been more passive, showing little emotional breadth between a last-ditch tackle and a calamitous own goal. It’s a bit of an odd couple, but both players are clearly growing into more competent and confident defenders, and it’s not a coincidence that their rise matches up with Silva’s arrival at the club.

This will be news to no one, but Silva is no spring chicken. No matter how good he is on the pitch, his legacy at Chelsea will be more based on how the existing stable of centerbacks grows into one of Europe’s top back lines. The real measure of his influence will be apparent in the likes of Fikayo Tomori, Ethan Ampadu, Xavier Mbuyamba and Malang Sarr, in addition to anyone else who might arrive in the next couple of windows. None are particularly close to becoming starters at Chelsea at the moment, but all of them are or will be lucky to have a chance to work with Silva.

Wednesday showed the near-immediate effects of his guidance, as Rudiger and Christensen rose to the occasion against a team that asked a lot of questions of Chelsea’s back line. It’s this intangible effect that will make Chelsea a contender on all fronts, both now and in the future.