Forget Hazard for once, Matic the machine and unbeatable Azpilicueta are unsung heroes behind Chelseas title charge... Sandro and Naughton paled in comparison Some people get all the plaudits. Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba got the goals against Tottenham, so Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba got the credit.Admittedly, Hazard – as ever – was a delight to watch at Stamford Bridge, and Eto’o and Ba put away their chances with minimal fuss to send Spurs packing from the Bridge pointless once again.But you don’t reach the top of the Barclays Premier League without having a team of top performers. There are members of Chelsea’s team that are a little less flashy than Oscar, Hazard or Andre Schurrle and will rarely get on the scoresheet like Ba or Eto’o but are equally important.Such players aren’t so fashionable, they won’t sell you as many shirts as the playmakers and the strikers, but they will help you win a football match. They’ll certainly prevent you from losing one.Cesar Azpilicueta and Nemanja Matic are two such players. They were majestic against Spurs on Saturday evening.Tottenham were on top for the entirety of the first period but they never looked like scoring. This was, in part, thanks to the quietly impressive work of the likes of Azpilicueta and Matic. Serbia midfielder Matic is a machine. He’s tough, reads the game better than most and is a fearsome presence in front of John Terry and Gary Cahill.At times he worked as a fifth defender for Jose Mourinho’s side. When Hugo Lloris would take a goal kick, it was often Matic who marked the gangly Emmanuel Adebayor, not Terry.Whenever Sandro, Nabil Bentaleb, Adebayor, or any Tottenham player drifted into that space in front of the Chelsea 18-yard box, Matic was all over them like a cheap suit, clinging on to them and giving them no room to breathe. He must be a terror to play against.But hes much more than your run-of-the-mill enforcer. Patrolling the Chelsea half like a sentinel, Matic covered 12km – the most of any player on the pitch – while breaking up Tottenhams play, but his composure on the ball and ability to spot a pass is exceptional.He’s not one of those defensive midfielders who plays the game laterally, spreading the ball side to side like a crab. Matic, regardless of how much pressure he’s under, will look for the more advanced players. Whether it’s setting Frank Lampard or Ramires on their way or sliding the ball up to Schurrle or Hazard, he’s got one of those ‘footballing brains’ people keep talking about.He made 71 passes against Tottenham, 14 of which were long range. Opposite number Sandro only completed 29 passes in total.This ability was evident in the first minute of the game. He nonchalantly knocked the ball into the path of Eto’o, who rounded Lloris and hit the deck. Assistant referee Andy Garrett’s flag was already up but it was a tremendous start to the game from Chelsea, and Matic.His composure on the ball and tenacity in the tackle make him a huge asset to Mourinho.So too is Spain full back Azpilicueta.The man they call ‘Dave’ is comfortably the best left-back in the Premier League at the moment, and he’s not even left-footed.After the 4-0 thumping of Tottenham, Mourinho was purring about the defender who is keeping England centurion Ashley Cole out of the Chelsea side.‘I think in this moment, Azpilicueta is unbeatable,’ the Portuguese manager said. ‘For many matches I didn’t see one player beat Azpilicueta in an individual duel.’ And he’s right. Kyle Walker and Kyle Naughton possess pace and power, and often Azpilicueta was left to deal with the pair of them when the free-roaming Hazard or Schurrle were further upfield.But Azpilicueta was unfazed, unflappable. If Walker got a yard on him, he’d battle back to block the cross. When Naughton ran at him, he stood firm and won the ball. He barely gave an inch.And why would he? With respect to Walker and Naughton, he’s kept better players at bay than those two.Jesus Navas and Pablo Zabaleta were banging on his door when Chelsea toppled Manchester City at the Etihad, but the 24-year-old didn’t buckle. He thrived under the weight of City’s relentless attack and, in the end, Chelsea went back to London with all three points and a clean sheet. Since Matic’s debut against Manchester United on January 19, Chelsea have conceded just five goals in the 10 games he has played in, two of those were scored by Manchester City.Azpilicueta has become a key member of the tightest defence in the Barclays Premier League alongside Terry, Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic. Mourinho’s frugal back four have only conceded 22 times this season.This pair might not score you many goals, but it’s pretty damn tricky for the opposition to get one for themselves when Matic and Azpilicueta are on the pitch. Serbia midfielder Matic is a machine. He’s tough, reads the game better than most and is a fearsome presence in front of John Terry and Gary Cahill.At times he worked as a fifth defender for Jose Mourinho’s side. When Hugo Lloris would take a goal kick, it was often Matic who marked the gangly Emmanuel Adebayor, not Terry.Whenever Sandro, Nabil Bentaleb, Adebayor, or any Tottenham player drifted into that space in front of the Chelsea 18-yard box, Matic was all over them like a cheap suit, clinging on to them and giving them no room to breathe. He must be a terror to play against.But hes much more than your run-of-the-mill enforcer. Patrolling the Chelsea half like a sentinel, Matic covered 12km – the most of any player on the pitch – while breaking up Tottenhams play, but his composure on the ball and ability to spot a pass is exceptional.He’s not one of those defensive midfielders who plays the game laterally, spreading the ball side to side like a crab. Matic, regardless of how much pressure he’s under, will look for the more advanced players.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 19:06:50 +0000
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