"I quite like those two" – Darren Bent names Chelsea duo key to Enzo Maresca's tactical system following Liverpool display

Ex-Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent has claimed that Chelsea's midfield duo of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia are key to the Blues' current system following their clash against Liverpool.

Caicedo, 22, has cemented himself as first-team starter for the Blues since arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion for £115 million last August. He has opened the 2024-25 campaign on a good note, helping the west London outfit sit sixth in the Premier League table right now.

Lavia, on the other hand, recently recovered from a hamstring problem to start the Blues' 2-1 league defeat at Liverpool earlier on Sunday. The 20-year-old defensive midfielder has made four appearances in all competitions this season, starting two of them in the process.

Speaking recently on talkSPORT, Bent asserted that Chelsea perform better when both Caicedo and Lavia start in Maresca's midfield double pivot. He elaborated (h/t X/@Blue_Footy):

"I thought Caicedo was good again [last Sunday], flying around the park. I almost feel like when they've got Lavia and Caicedo, it's more protection. I quite like those two. If you're going to [use Cole] Palmer as the [number 10], I quite like [seeing both Lavia and Caicedo start]. The moment you lose one of those, it's a bit lopsided."

Caicedo, who was heavily linked with Arsenal and Liverpool in the past, has netted one goal and provided six assists in 58 total games for Chelsea. Lavia, who moved to his team from Southampton in a £58 million transfer last summer, has made five total appearances for them.

Liverpool's Arne Slot states Chelsea are in position to challenge for title next season

Ahead of Liverpool's upcoming UEFA Champions League encounter at RB Leipzig, Reds manager Arne Slot made a bold claim about the Blues. He said (h/t Metro):

"A lot of people in England were making fun of Chelsea earlier in the season for investing so much money and bringing in all these players that weren't in the squad, but in my opinion, they have done really well in the last two or three years bringing so many talented players in. They have such a strong squad with such a good manager that they will be up there in the coming years."

Since Clearlake Capital's takeover in the summer of 2022, Chelsea have splashed close to £1.1 billion on new signings. They have also raked in over £450 million by selling a number of their first-team players.

The Blues, who finished sixth past campaign, are sixth in the 2024-25 league table with 14 points from eight games – seven points off Liverpool.