“He’s perfect” – Owen Hargreaves hails Chelsea star as ‘machine’ despite draw with Salzburg

Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves hailed Reece James as a machine despite Chelsea's 1-1 draw against Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday (September 14).

The England international started and played the full 90 minutes for the Blues as they secured a hard-fought draw at Stamford Bridge. This was their first game under new manager Graham Potter, who replaced Thomas Tuchel earlier this month.

James won six out of the seven ground duels he contested, made three successful tackles, and completed all three of his attempted dribbles. It was his simple pass that set Mason Mount free down the right flank, which led to Raheem Sterling's opening goal in the 48th minute of the match.

Speaking on BT Sport 2 (h/t Chelsea Chronicle) after the match, Hargreaves said:

"Reece is just a machine down that right-hand side. He’s perfect."

Rio Ferdinand, who was Hargreaves' teammate at Manchester United during his playing days, went on to add:

“This is the difference maker for me; he can turn defense into attack, control that right-hand side all on his own.”

James was preferred by Tuchel down the right-hand side of his defense and that seems to be the case under Potter as well. He has played the full 90 minutes in all but one of Chelsea's matches this season.

The only exception was when James did not travel with the Blues for their Premier League trip against Southampton on August 30. It ended in a 2-1 defeat for Chelsea.

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Chelsea find themselves in a tricky position in Group E of the Champions League

Chelsea are currently bottom of Group E in this season's UEFA Champions League. Before their draw against the Austrian side, the Blues lost to Dinamo Zagreb via a 1-0 scoreline on Matchday 1.

The match proved to be Tuchel's last game in charge of the Blues. The fourth team in their group are the Serie A giants and seven-time winners of the competition, AC Milan.

The Rossoneri are top of the table with four points from two games after beating Zagreb 3-1 following a 1-1 draw against Salzburg. The Croatian side are in second place with three points, while the Austrian champions are third with two points to their name.

The Blues will have to kick into fifth gear soon if they aim to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition. They host Milan on October 5 in west London after the international break.