Chelsea ace just proved he could be the new Essien

Chelsea put in a superb display against Aston Villa, with Enzo Maresca yet again making some tactical tweaks, catching Unai Emery off guard, and easing their way to a 3-0 victory in front of their home fans at Stamford Bridge.

Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernández and Cole Palmer scored the goals for the Blues, controlling the game with 64% possession, and playing at their tempo, something Chelsea haven’t always been the best at, especially with such a young group of players.

There were plenty of top-class performances among Maresca’s troops, but two in particular stood out, two players who are considered key men for Chelsea in the present and future of the club.

Cole Palmer’s performance vs Aston Villa

Palmer provided the goods yet again for the Blues, making it eight goals and six assists this season, totalling 1,181 minutes played across 15 appearances.

Alongside his excellent output, grabbing a goal and an assist in the game, Palmer also made two key passes, completed four out of four long balls, and won both of his ground duels in the match.

The 22-year-old has been a key figure since signing for the Blues, but one man who gives him a run for his money, in terms of importance to this Chelsea side, could well be their next Michael Essien.

Chelsea’s new Michael Essien

Essien used to be a versatile player, a bison of a midfielder, who could fill in as a full-back to do a job for his manager. He often did this for José Mourinho at Chelsea, and Maresca may well have uncovered his man for this role too against Villa.

Moises Caicedo started the game at right-back, inverting into midfield alongside Roméo Lavia, filling in for Malo Gusto who was on the bench, but missed last week due to illness, and clearly wasn’t deemed ready to start.

The 23-year-old Ecuador midfielder took to this role like a duck to water, having previously done this at Brighton in the past for Roberto De Zerbi too. Caicedo made three key passes, won three of his five ground duels, and made two tackles.

He was astute on the ball as always, having 76 touches, making 56/64 passes, and looking to break the lines, whilst also always being ready to defend in transition and protect his teammates.

Caicedo’s versatility is especially important, as Chelsea have Reece James out through injury again, which could mean this tactic needs to be deployed again in the near future.

Since joining the club, Caicedo has shown his importance, making 63 appearances for the Blues, scoring two goals and providing six assists, across 5,157 minutes.

But most importantly, he is always there for his teammates, putting in that extra 10%, and acting as the extra man for his side, using that ability to cover ground and persistently track his opposite number.