Chelsea’s Mason Mount is finding his footing at the right time
Make no mistake about it, Mason Mount is the future of Chelsea Football Club. The model academy graduate has enjoyed a superb start to his professional career, winning a handful of trophies and individual awards. He was the Blues’ Player of the Season last year following a breakout campaign in which he stood out above the rest of his colleagues and even earned a 19th-place finish in the Ballon d’Or voting. An assist on the match-winning goal in the Champions League final appropriately capped off an incredible season for one of Europe’s budding superstars.
Nevertheless, Mount didn’t exactly set the world ablaze to begin the current campaign. He was given some time off to start due to his involvement with England at Euro 2020 and seemingly as soon as he got back to regular match fitness, he was ruled out following dental surgery. Luckily for Chelsea fans though, he’s getting back into stellar form. Mount has a goal and an assist in each of the Blues’ last two league contests, including an exquisite volley in the 3-2 defeat at West Ham. Thomas Tuchel must be jumping for joy as Mount is finally finding his footing this season at the time the team needs him the most.
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Chelsea star boy Mason Mount is getting into good form at the opportune time
Perhaps the most impressive part of Chelsea’s amazing start to the season thus far is the fact the club has gotten this far largely without three of its best players: Mateo Kovacic, Romelu Lukaku and Mount. While the aforementioned trio has played in a fair amount of games, they’ve also missed a plethora of matches, as well. The Blues have a chance on Wednesday to clinch the top seed in Group H and they are just two points off the Premier League. However, the dreaded winter period—where the Blues typically trip up—is looming. Things aren’t looking good following a handful of bad performances against Manchester United, Watford and West Ham. Factor in the team’s injuries and it seems like the perfect storm of excuses for the reigning Champions of Europe.
Mount is here to save the day though.
Chelsea is undeniably a better team when an in-form Mount is in the starting XI. The 22-year-old is one of the—if not the—most important players in Tuchel’s squad. One of his biggest assets even goes unnoticed more often than not. Mount possesses the ability to play in numerous positions across the midfield and front line. The German gaffer has often deployed him as a winger, mostly on the right, but current circumstances in the team mean supporters could see him start in the midfield pivot on a short-term basis.
Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Kovacic all failed to make the trip to St. Petersburg for the Blues’ final Champions League group stage showdown. Trevoh Chalobah, who typically plays centerback but can also play in the middle of the park, is also injured. Therefore, Tuchel is tasked with choosing a relatively unfamiliar pairing in the middle of the park. Ruben Loftus-Cheek was on the pre-match media duty leading up to the Zenit game, so he’s presumably set to start in midfield. Surely Tuchel isn’t crazy enough to start both he and Saul after the disasterclass against Watford, so Mount seems like the sensible option alongside his compatriot.
While calling Chelsea’s current situation an ‘injury crisis’ seems a bit overdramatic, the coaching staff finds itself between a rock and a hard place at the moment. Tuchel will look to the Blues’ leaders to pick up the baton and run with it while some key individuals remain out. Mount is surely going to be one of those who is expected to step his game up, so suffice it to say, he’s finding his footing at the perfect time, regardless of where he plays on any given day.
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