When Reece James was named as Chelsea's club captain, there was mockery on social media. This was mainly because James was struggling with fitness issues at the time. All Chelsea captains are compared to the great John Terry. Conor Gallagher also received criticism when wearing the club's armband.
James delivered a captain's performance against Arsenal. With the loss of his midfield partner, Moises Caicedo, James ensured that Chelsea were still difficult to break down. It was James's corner that assisted Trevoh Chalobah's goal that gave them a surprise lead.
There is only so much you can do when playing with 10 men, and eventually Arsenal equalised through Mikel Merino. It was still a fantastic result for Chelsea despite them surrendering their lead. Enzo Maresca's side are now just six points off the Gunners in the Premier League. The Club World Cup and Europa Conference League winners could be in for more silverware this season.
Despite James's star performance, it appears that he will be rested against Leeds United this week. Enzo Maresca has said that he will not play, as there is still a concern that James could get injured. Playing Leeds at Elland Road will be difficult for Chelsea, given the rivalry between the two sides, which dates back to fierce clashes in the 1960s.
Is Chelsea a better team with Reece James in midfield?
James is predominantly a right-back, but Chelsea has another great player in that position in Malo Gusto. Cole Palmer, when fit, usually starts in the attacking midfield position. Enzo Fernández fills in well in the hole, but is often partnered with Caicedo in central midfield. Andrey Santos is another central midfielder who has played well for the club but has been underused this season.
There is an argument that James should be playing alongside Caicedo more often in central midfield, given his performance against Arsenal. However, his minutes also need to be managed, given his history of fitness issues. Chelsea has a very strong squad, which is just as well, and what you need for a team that should be challenging for the Premier League.
With James playing in midfield, they have had impressive Premier League results, beating Tottenham Hotspur and drawing with Arsenal. He has also played defensive midfield in the Champions League, where they beat Barcelona 3-0. However, in their opening game of the European competition this season, the Blues lost 3-1 to Bayern Munich with James in midfield.
James was substituted after 68 minutes for Santos in the defeat to Bayern. That defeat was early on in the season, and can be seen as a blip. The Chelsea captain has proved recently how much of a better side they are with him in the middle of the park.