Jody Morris was among those impressed by Chelsea's display against Lille on Tuesday night, singling out three of the Blues' stars for particular praise after they put one foot in the quarter-finals.
Morris, who spent several years at Stamford Bridge as a player, worked with a number of members of the current squad when he worked as the club's assistant manager under Frank Lampard.
The 43-year-old was watching on as Chelsea built up a two-goal first-leg advantage to take to France, with efforts in either half from Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic making the difference.
Havertz led the line, with record signing Romelu Lukaku left on the bench after his unimpressive display on Saturday, and the German was among those singled out for praise by Morris after the game.
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"They were extremely solid, especially in the second half. They totally controlled the game," Morris told BBC Radio 5 Live (via Metro ) after watching his former club shut out the reigning Ligue 1 champions.
"Thiago Silva was unbelievable – it does not seem like he is getting older one bit.
"Kai Havertz, you have to give the manager credit for picking him and Havertz had one of his best games in a Chelsea shirt. N’Golo Kante was his world-class best too."
Veteran defender Silva signed an extension to his contract in January, ensuring he will remain at the club until the end of the 2022-23 season, and the 37-year-old is already on track to play more times this season than last.
Havertz continues to impress after scoring the winner in the Champions League and Club World Cup finals, taking less than 10 minutes to beat Lille goalkeeper Leo Jardim at Stamford Bridge.
Kante, meanwhile, was much-missed during his spell out of the team through injury in late November and early December, and played a part in Pulisic's goal after the break.
"It was a really accomplished performance from Chelsea," Morris said, suggesting Thomas Tuchel's side are still capable of reaching a higher level.
"The clean sheet is huge at home. With the games they have to catch up in with the league it may allow them to rotate the squad even more.
"It should’ve been more, that’s the only disappointment that Thomas Tuchel will have, but you can’t really moan about a 2-0 win in the last 16.
"Chelsea have been winning without playing their best and if some of these players start performing at the levels they’re capable of then they could go on a long run."
Chelsea's focus now turns to the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, with three more matches to follow in the FA Cup and Premier League before their return leg against Lille on March 16.
