Chelsea vs Man City: Three lessons learnt in season’s first loss

3. The return of Ruben Loftus-Cheek

It has been well over a year since Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s last Premier League appearance for Chelsea, which came on September 14, 2020 against Brighton at the start of last season. Having looked absolutely lost and off the pace when he came on in the 61′ of the match, his subsequent loan to Fulham did not go particularly well either. Scott Parker’s Fulham ultimately suffered relegation with the Englishman powerless to stop the rot that beset the team post-Christmas, despite featuring in 31 league matches.

Things were not looking good for Loftus-Cheek and Tuchel’s desire to bring in another midfielder in the form of Saul Niguez at the end of the transfer window was seen as an indictment of his lack of faith in the Englishman.

Hence, to witness the 25-year-old start the previous game in the Carabao Cup and to see him come on against Man City with the manager desperate for a renewed spark, was heartwarming, to say the least. Even more impressive has been Loftus-Cheek’s performance itself, which is indicative of a player that has finally rediscovered his mojo. From the little flicks round the corner and the ability to step across and shield the ball in the face of Man City’s high press, the England international is slowly but surely getting closer to being back to his very best. It will be fascinating to see Loftus-Cheek battle it out with Saul for the fourth midfield spot throughout the season. In the meantime, let us take some time to celebrate the tiny miracle of seeing Loftus-Cheek back in the blue of Chelsea once again.

What are some of the lessons you learnt in the match? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!