Most Chelsea fans can agree that Romeo Lavia is one of the most frustrating players they have at the club, because when he plays, he's one of the most impressive and standout players on the pitch. Still, the reason why he's so frustrating is that he doesn't play enough for them to see it regularly.
The thing about Lavia has never been his talent because that's been evident since his introduction at Southampton in 2022; it's that his body hasn't held up well, and when you think he's getting an extended run in the side, he picks up an annoying injury.
So far this season, the Belgian has made four Premier League starts, playing 262 minutes this season, already close to his total from the 2025/26 season, his Nations League performance for Belgium against France showcased that he may be rediscovering his form that attracted Chelsea to sign him in the first place.
Although Belgium and Lavia came out on the wrong side of a 1-0 defeat, the midfielder can hold his head up high after an impressive performance. Paired alongside Manchester United's Youri Tielemans in midfield, it was the Chelsea man who performed better of the two.
In the 85 minutes that Lavia was on the pitch, he made a game-high five tackles, as well as the second-most defensive contributions with 10, only behind Chelsea teammate Maxence Lacroix. It was a real eye-catching performance from Lavia, who was making his third Belgium appearance, completing all of his 39 passes, winning six of his eight ground duels, as well as blocking two shots.
Chelsea fans would have had their hearts in their mouth after Lavia came off looking uncomfortable, like he had picked up a knock in the closing stages, which would have just summed up his last couple of seasons, but revealed after the game to a Belgian outlet that it's going to take him a while to get up to full speed.
"It had been a long time since I’d played at such an intensity. It’s a process. From the start, I felt very comfortable; it’s the kind of match everyone loves to play. It’s all coming naturally."
This performance, especially against the opposition, would have meant a lot to Lavia, and being able to make it through 85 minutes quite unscathed, as well as it being his first Belgium start, saying, "There is a huge amount of pride after this first start, three years after my first selection."
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