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‘Best Player On The Pitch’ - Cole Palmer Heaps Praise On Chelsea Star Midfielder
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- ‘Best Player On The Pitch’ - Cole Palmer Heaps Praise On Chelsea Star Midfielder
(IMAGO / Every Second Media)
Chelsea will be hoping to draw a line under a difficult week following their 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Saturday afternoon at a lively Stamford Bridge.
The visitors got the better of the Blues in the first half and arguably could and should have been 2-0 up themselves at the break. However, a flawless second-half performance from Chelsea ensured all three points would stay in London.
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Goals from Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer secured the victory, but the performances of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia in midfield were equally impressive, with both making important contributions defensively as well as going forward.
Lavia's ability to drive the ball out of defensive situations and transition quickly into attack, while complementing Caicedo in midfield, is a serious asset for Chelsea. For much of the game, Manchester United struggled to retain possession comfortably because of his excellent positioning.
Lavia completed his first competitive 90 minutes for the Blues during Wednesday's defeat to Liverpool in the League Cup and, once again against Manchester United, repeated the same feat.
Palmer, who scored Chelsea's second goal of the afternoon, spoke to the BBC after the game and had plenty of praise for the Belgian midfielder.
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He said: "Today was one of the best games I've seen him play. I've said all along he's one of my favourite midfielders. People still don't realise how good he is.
"You know, obviously he's had his injury problems, but he's trying to put that behind him now and put in performances like today, because today I thought he was the best player on the pitch."
The 22-year-old has had a turbulent time since joining from Southampton for a fee in the region of £53 million back in 2023.
Constant injury setbacks have hampered any chance of building consistency and becoming a mainstay under the four permanent head coaches during his time at Stamford Bridge.
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According to Transfermarkt , the midfielder has missed 122 matches for the Blues across his four seasons at the club. The Belgian international is already just six minutes away from surpassing the number of minutes he completed in the Premier League throughout the 2025/26 season.
How Lavia has gained increased responsibility at Stamford Bridge
Following the departure of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City for a fee of £125 million, a British record, and the sale of Andrey Santos to Manchester United, Lavia's overall responsibility at Stamford Bridge has increased, given the reduced depth and competition in midfield.
With the deadline-day move for Lamine Camara at the final hour and the reported interest in Bournemouth's Alex Scott not coming to fruition over the summer, midfield continues to be an area that the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge look desperate to improve.
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As club captain Reece James continues to nurse a knee injury following recent surgery and remains out for the foreseeable future, the Belgian now carries increased responsibility alongside Caicedo and Jordan Henderson at the centre of the park due to the lack of depth in the midfield department.
Lavia will be looking to complete a third successive match as the Blues travel to Sunderland in the final round of fixtures before the international break. The Belgium international is expected to be called up to his national team as they prepare for Nations League action against Turkey and Italy.
If Lavia can remain fit, he could prove instrumental in Chelsea's attempts to climb the Premier League table and secure Champions League qualification.
