It’s not been the easiest of starts for Moises Caicedo at Chelsea.
The Ecuadorian arrived from Brighton on a £115m contract four months ago, in the most expensive move ever made by a British club. Since then, he hasn’t scored a goal or helped in 18 games, forcing fans and pundits alike. to start asking questions.
Caicedo had a wonderful chance to silence his doubters on Saturday when Sheffield United, the last club in the Premier League, visited Stamford Bridge. It was some other sophisticated functionality of Caicedo, but do we blame him for this?Absolutely not.
The star of Saturday’s exhibition Cole Palmer, one of the cheapest buys in Todd Boehly’s billion-pound spending spree, for £42. 5 million. With the match scoreless, the former Manchester City’s skill scored and helped Nicolas Jackson win 2-0.
It was a vital win for Chelsea too, having lost back-to-back games to Manchester United and Everton. Mauricio Pochettino’s side remain 12 points behind Manchester City in fourth and still have a lot of work to do if they are going to qualify for Europe come May.
Caicedo quietly went about his business. He distributed the ball well and dictated the game from his role as a defensive midfielder. He stood out against the impressive Andre Brooks, an exciting youngster who joined the United squad through the return of manager Chris Wilder and who held his own in recent games against Liverpool and Brentford.
Caicedo didn’t have any physical difficulties either. Just before half-time, he shrugged off combative United midfielder Vini Souza before sending Jackson into goal. Souza fell, clutching his face, but referee Andy Madley was right and let the game continue.
What did you think of Moises Caicedo’s performance on Saturday?Let us know in the comments below!
It was arguably Caicedo’s most productive performance since his record-breaking move to Stamford Bridge. The 22-year-old hasn’t had any surprising moments, but why has he?After all, he’s a defensive midfielder.
This is a player who has been contracted at the base of Chelsea’s midfield until June 2031, when he will be 29 years old and (in theory) out of contract. He will not appear in the 90th minute and locate the net. It’s not Declan Rice. It’s rarely a winner, at least not yet.
Nor should we forget where Caicedo was 18 months ago. Hardly anyone had heard of him before the start of last season, his decisive campaign. no problems for Chelsea. Who knows?
The challenge Caicedo has to overcome is his price. Chelsea paid too much for a defensive midfielder and “£115 million” will still weigh heavily on their shoulders for some time. It’s up to him to carry this burden. His performance on Saturday suggests he can do it.
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