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Chelsea’s sorry state so far this season has been spectacularly shocking. A team who is used to winning, used to dominating the game, used to not crumbling under pressure has been doing all the wrong things – losing matches, steam and interest. The signs are there for all to see.
The reasons for this have been dissected to the core. Maybe it is the manager who needs to be sacked, maybe it is that traitor in the squad who hates his manager or maybe it is the disinterest of the players involved. Whatever it may be, one thing is certain – sooner rather than later, a positive result was to come some way.
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That is exactly what happened at Stamford Bridge against Dynamo Kiev. Chelsea got that result and they were made to work hard for it. The mistakes were there, and all is still not well. But at that point of time, it was only the score line that mattered. It can be argued though that against a team like Kiev, it was not going to be that hard. But it was because Kiev grew in confidence right after the break and were deservedly level.
But it was not to be because one man whose Afro hairstyle coupled with his pace and his tremendous work-ethic fittingly grabbed the winner. That man is Willian Borges Da Silva, or simply Willian.
He had came close to signing for Tottenham Hotspur when the Blues bid for him and successfully completed a £30 million move to West London. He partnered well with Eden Hazard and Oscar and Juan Mata to provide width and flair on the wings for Chelsea. After Mata’s departure to Manchester United, he played in a 3-man attacking midfield with Hazard and Oscar, behind Diego Costa in the 2014/15 season. Jose Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1 formation was very effective and the setup won many a matches for the team.
This season, however, other players have not performed to their highest level. The Brazilian, on the other hand, has played very well and has already scored 5 goals in all competitions this season and all of them have been the spectacular ones from direct free-kicks.
He is the current top goalscorer at the club and was named as the Chelsea’s ‘Player of the Month’ for October. His tireless running at opposition defenders and the effort put in to retrieve the ball and go forward at every opportunity have been the highlight of the team. With others fading in a game, his extra energy always comes in handy to build up attacks.
Willian by the numbers
Willian’s passing accuracy is the same as Cesc Fabregas – 83%. But defensively, he has been a gem with an 81% tackle success compared to Fabregas’s 73%. Hazard although having a 100% tackle success has not put on his shooting boots which is reflected in his 39% shooting accuracy compared to the Brazillian’s 52%.
Oscar is lower in all aspects here. Although the stats tell a different story altogether, it is clear to everyone watching that the stand-out player has been Willian. Among the goals also Hazard has none, Oscar has two, Fabregas has one and Willian has 5. Even Costa has only two.
| Appearances | Goals | |
|---|---|---|
| EPL | 71 | 8 |
| Champions League | 22 | 4 |
His first season at the club yielded 4 goals and last season he managed only 2 goals in the league. This season too, so far he has managed 2. But overall his tally in other competitions and the fact that it is more than others is noteworthy. In his debut Champions League, season he did not score and in the 2014/15 season, when Chelsea reached the last 16, he managed a single goal. This season, however, he has 3 goals from 4 appearances this season, even bagging 1 assist.
Here, it is to be noted that other competitions like the League Cup and the FA Cup are not taken into consideration with the focus only being in the competitions currently underway. Again Willian fares better compared to other players like Hazard and Fabregas. Here we put all our attention to the stark contrast of his statistics of previous seasons and the current season in his short stint at Stamford Bridge.
The win against Kiev puts Chelsea in a good position to qualify for the last-16 of the Champions League. Mourinho was stoked by the support of the fans and thanked them profusely. He also praised the man responsible for his and the fans’ happiness.
Willian is in the form of his life and the 27-year-old needs to make the best use of it. He is already an integral part of Brazil coach Dunga’s squad but needs to keep the momentum going so that he does not fade away with intense competition for places.
Chelsea need their players to step up and perform. Immense criticism has been leveled at several players for being a shadow of what they were previously. Amidst all the criticism, Willian has been quietly going about his work of keeping his head down and concentrating on his game. Credit to the player for being a shining star in an otherwise lacklustre display by Chelsea.
He may well be the catalyst for the other players to perform well and and stabilize their season. Every dark cloud has a silver lining and in Chelsea’s case, it is Willian.
