When it was announced that N’Golo Kante picked up an injury in the warm-up to France’s game against Iceland during the international break, the question on our lips was ‘who will fill in for him in Chelsea.’ The Frenchman remains an important part of the Chelsea squad because of his strength and defensive ability in the midfield.
One would have thought Chelsea might find it hard to fill in the space till he gets back to playing but surprisingly, the club has done really well to fill that space that we didn’t even notice his absence on the pitch.
With the pairing of Jorginho and Kovacic in the midfield, we have seen an incredible combination of talent and pure class. Since then, we have continued to watch a midfield that has evolved into a formidable double act.
What makes this surprising is how these two never really worked under Sarri – Jorginho tagged as everything wrong with Sarriball and little or no excitement at all when the club made Kovacic’s loan a permanent deal – but we have seen them in action now and understand what the two can do together in coordinating Chelsea’s midfield.
It has been a beautiful sight to behold seeing the two step up in the absence of N’Golo Kante. They combined beautifully during the 2-1 victory against Watford over the weekend.
We started to wonder what the duo has been doing right that improved their game and on close observation, we noticed a slight change that might have been really hard to catch if one was not looking closely.
Inventive passing
They are both fast players that are quick on their feet. Their ability to pass the ball into space and get to it before opponents is a great advantage for the duo and they’ve developed on it and learned how to use it to get the best out of their games.
Unlike under Sarri, Frank Lampard has given them both the freedom to play in a more natural role and allows them to take more risks. Last season, we saw a bland Kovacic that was too safe on attack and passing but now with the mindset of being able to take risks, his passes are more dangerous and on point.
Over the last couple of matches, they have become a vital part of the Chelsea squad, maintaining poise on the ball when the team was under pressure.
What this means for Chelsea
Jorginho and Kovacic’s pairing has been brilliant so far. It shows in how they keep the team together both defensively and while on the offence. They always keep the ball moving and contribute to the attack so much that the forwards only need to think of putting the ball in the net. They’ve shown so much energy that we can agree that players like them are all that keeps the team ticking.
With Kante back from injury, one might think Frank Lampard will have a problem making a decision on who to use and who to rest, but on the other hand, we can see it as a healthy competition. The type the Chelsea squad needs to keep everyone on their feet.
With Jorginho and Kovacic performing impressively over the last couple of games, Frank Lampard won’t have to bother about a shortage of talent in the midfield.
Conclusion
Chelsea has coped really well without Kante this season. With the Frenchman being out for a month, we have seen a combination of Jorginho and Kovacic and how well the pairing had worked. It has been so impressive to earn them a chant by Chelsea fans.
Guess that’s a good thing, seeing the fans really impressed by the performance of the players
