The Pride of London
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A balanced assessment of Chelsea’s summer signings

By Joel Kristian Frederick Burton

Chelsea's German striker Timo Werner reacts after having his penalty saved during the English FA Cup fourth round football match between Chelsea and Luton Town at Stamford Bridge in London on January 24, 2021. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea's German striker Timo Werner reacts after having his penalty saved during the English FA Cup fourth round football match between Chelsea and Luton Town at Stamford Bridge in London on January 24, 2021. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Chelsea’s German head coach Thomas Tuchel (L) reacts with Chelsea’s Brazilian defender Thiago Silva at the final whistle during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge in London on January 27, 2021. (Photo by RICHARD HEATHCOTE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea’s German head coach Thomas Tuchel (L) reacts with Chelsea’s Brazilian defender Thiago Silva at the final whistle during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge in London on January 27, 2021. (Photo by RICHARD HEATHCOTE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

Edouard Mendy

Games Started: 22

Clean Sheets: 12

Goals Conceded: 16

Statistically, Edouard Mendy has had a solid start to his Blues career. After notably keeping 10 clean sheets in his first 15 games, things have started to even out. Mendy has conceded nine goals in the last six matches.

Unsurprisingly, better opposition—like Manchester City and Aston Villa—has led to more shots on goal for Mendy to contend with. In an article for The Athletic, Michael Cox and Tom Worville looked at the quality and position of the shots he has faced (expected goals on target, or xGOT) in his first 13 Premier League games. Despite making some excellent saves so far, Mendy slightly underperformed with his shot-stopping, conceding 12 goals to an xGOT of 11.22.

Mendy’s best traits largely cannot be measured in numbers. He was quickly able to build confidence with the back four with immediate effect and is not phased to command his area and deal with balls coming into the box. The Senegalese international seems to have settled well in London, with his sister already living in the city before his arrival. This could be a factor in his positive mentality on the pitch, where he rarely seems phased, regardless of whether the game is going in Chelsea’s favour or not. This should allow him to focus on improving his judgment when sweeping, which has been problematic in games against Leeds, Everton and Fulham.

Ben Chilwell

Games Started: 22

Goals Scored: 2

Assists: 5

Along with the goalkeeping position, recruitment was in desperate need at the left back position. Ben Chilwell’s arrival was met with muted tones by some parts of the fanbase, who questioned his ability to excel in both the attacking and defensive balance the position requires.

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Going forward, he has continued his output from last season with Leicester, with one more assist and only one goal fewer than what he attained for the whole of last season. The England international has been a present threat at the back post and in this respect, has teamed up well with the likes of Hakim Ziyech. Through his expected assists (xA) statistics, Chilwell shows he has stepped up his ability to create assists from harder situations, improving his xA in the Premier League by over 3.0, with four assists from an xA of 1.36. This is a big improvement from last season, where he underperformed slightly with three assists from an xA of 3.54.

With that in mind, one would suspect that Tuchel will be drawn to a wingback that can do more with less. But with a new coach to impress, Marcos Alonso and Emerson will be reinvigorated to make a claim for that starting place. Against Wolves, Chilwell was making moves into the middle of the pitch in what seemed like a pre-meditated manner and is being expected to find opportunities in these areas rather than focus on staying wide and stretching the play.

In addition, he offers a lot more going back than his counterparts. Crosses into the Chelsea box from the right have seemed far less prevalent and it feels like Chilwell has the necessary nouse to perform his full-back duties calmly, if the Blues ever needed to shut up shop and defend a precarious lead.

Thiago Silva

Games Started: 19

Goals Scored: 2

Assists: 0

Former Chelsea coach and World Cup winner Luiz Felipe Scolari, described the football philosophy of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul—where he grew up—as having an emphasis on “physical play” instead of technical and skilled football, which was more covered in Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro. Not many centrehalves in the game today mix physical ability with technical skill better than Thiago Silva. A Rio native who spent part of his formative years playing for Juventude and RS Futebol, both based in the aforementioned state.

His positioning, tackling and all-round reading of the game have been clear to see in multiple games this season, with December’s performance away at Old Trafford standing out in particular.  Statistics would suggest his positioning has indeed been strong. In 15 league appearances, he has amassed 85 clearances (28 of those headed and one off the line) and won 55 of 87 duels. However, his tackling stats are somewhat underwhelming, at just 57 percent. Notably, his heading ability has also been a plus from attacking set-pieces, with two goals—both from corners—in the Premier League.

Lampard and the previous coaching staff did well to monitor the 36-year-old and use him sparingly after long haul flights from his commitments with the Brazilian national team. Knowing when to rest Silva will be crucial in getting the best out of him long term, if his one-year contract extension is triggered.

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