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Chelsea: Three players who could be crucial in upcoming games

By Subhrajit Chowdhury

Chelsea's English midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek (L) and Malmo's Daniish defender Lasse Nielsen vie for the ball during the UEFA Champions League group H football match Malmo FF v Chelsea FC in Malmo, Sweden on November 2, 2021. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea's English midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek (L) and Malmo's Daniish defender Lasse Nielsen vie for the ball during the UEFA Champions League group H football match Malmo FF v Chelsea FC in Malmo, Sweden on November 2, 2021. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Chelsea’s English defender Reece James celebrates scoring the winning penalty during the English League Cup third round football match between Chelsea and Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge in London on September 22, 2021. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea’s English defender Reece James celebrates scoring the winning penalty during the English League Cup third round football match between Chelsea and Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge in London on September 22, 2021. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images) /

1. Reece James

One of the best players for Chelsea at the moment and a regular starter in the team, Reece James could hold the golden ticket for the Blues’ victories this month. The Cobham academy graduate was brought into the spotlight by Frank Lampard and fans immediately took a liking to him. He was supposed to replace Cesar Azpilicueta as Chelsea’s first choice right back, but when Tuchel came into the club, he changed the system so that a normal fullback was no longer required. Wingbacks like Marcos Alonso were now favoured and Tuchel even tried to play Hudson-Odoi as an adapted wingback. This experiment failed, however, and James was back into the team.

Ever since that moment, James has been performing phenomenally for the club and he was one of the stars during the Champions League final triumph back in May. His defensive abilities are on par with Azpilicueta’s and he is great at taking on players one-on-one at both ends of the pitch. His change of role from a traditional fullback to a versatile wingback has not hurt his performance too much—if at all. He has greatly increased his speed and stamina in order to to run up and down the pitch throughout the duration of each contest. The 21-year-old helps out a lot in the attack, but he keeps his defensive duties in mind, as well.

All of this being said, why could he be one of the most important players this month?

Well, with the absence of regular goalscorers, the rest of the players have all been trying to do their part to put the ball at the back of the net. James has been wonderful in that department as his shooting power and abilities are just sublime. In the match against Newcastle United, James scored one half-volley and one full volley to cap off his brace. He could have had a hat-trick that night, but Jorginho opted to take the penalty kick himself to ensure a win. James is a menace in the defensive half and he could definitely be the difference-maker on the other side of the pitch too.

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