Chelsea didn't have much to shout about during their game against Manchester United last weekend. The Blues suffered another disappointing home defeat without finding the back of the net themselves.
Matheus Cunha's opener just before half time was the only goal of the game and enough to see Michael Carrick take all three points back to Manchester.
It wasn't a pretty encounter. Not only did Estevao suffered another hamstring injury, but there was also obvious frustration felt among the Chelsea players.
However, although the result didn't go in the Blues' favour, one star can definitely hold his head high following what was an eye-opening performance, especially in his opposition's final third.
Wesley Fofana outperformed Bruno Fernandes in several key attacking areas
Despite being on the losing side, according to performance data from stats giants Opta, Fofana had one of his best games in a Chelsea shirt to date.
Even though Fofana played in his natural centre-back position and was subbed off with 10 minutes still to play, the Frenchman managed to produce a fine creative display.
Chelsea's lack of cutting edge in the final third has seen them fail to score in all of their last four Premier League matches, and although that trend continued against the Red Devils, Fofana certainly did his very best to provide more clear cut chances.
Stat | Wesley Fofana | Bruno Fernandes |
|---|---|---|
Final Third Entries | 12 | 9 |
Total Final Third Passes | 12 | 23 |
Final Third Passing Accuracy | 83% | 74% |
Touches in Opposition Box | 3 | 1 |
Possession Won | 2 | 2 |
Duels Won | 3 | 2 |
Amazingly, despite Bruno Fernandes being arguably the Premier League's most in form player, Fofana provided the most creativity in the business end of the pitch.
Liam Rosenior must give Fofana more license to roam
The Frenchman outperformed Manchester United's talisman in several key areas, including number of final third entries, total touches in the opposition's box and the number of duels he won.
The Chelsea defender's final third passing accuracy was even nine per cent better than Fernandes', albeit from 11 less passes, but still, his performance should not go unnoticed.
Regardless of the result, Fofana undoubtedly showcased his ability to drive forward and cause problems in the opposition's final third, so don't be surprised if Rosenior instructs him to maraud forward even more in future matches.
The Blues' next match will see them travel to the south coast on Tuesday evening to take on Brighton and Hove Albion.
Failure to take all three points will end all hopes of a top four finish and could even see the side slip to as low as ninth by the end of the week.
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