N’Golo Kante picked up his fourth Champions League knockout stage Man of the Match award in a row. His performances say that he is still in the best form of his life, but some say his injuries are a concern.
Chelsea faced Lille in the 1st leg of their last 16 Champions League tie. Safe to say that they got the job half done, taking a 2-0 victory into the 2nd. Whilst the heroes would be remembered as Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic, the two-goal scorers, Kante stamped his mark all over the midfield.
It was no surprise that he received the MOTM award. However, how he showed up was unprecedented. He has adapted his game, which leaves one player up for discussion in the summer transfer window.
Kante has always played a unique role in this Chelsea team. His position cannot be limited to just a defensive midfielder. He is comfortable in several roles and full of surprises. Just when you thought his work rate couldn't be any higher, Kante performs the one against Lille.
The Frenchman is known for his ruthless ball recovery. He is an absolute menace to play on his best days, like a chip on your shoulder that you can't seem to shake off. You'd think fans would be crazy to want to let him go. However, there have been debates regarding the future of Kante, Mateo Kovacic, and Jorginho. I'd hate to be Thomas Tuchel having to make such a difficult decision.
Some fans wish to see Kante leave; others would prefer Jorginho. Many seem settled on Kovacic remaining a resident part of the team, but this decision came with his upgrade in skillset. Kante showed the world that he has also adapted his skillset and unleashed gems from his locker.
I was stunned to witness the pinpoint passing delivered by the Frenchman. He was given an additional role and constantly produced in the final third. He was also making the third man runs into the box, driving forward whilst still delivering on recovery. In the end, he assisted Christian Pulisic's goal, which was well deserved.
It was an outstanding performance from him, and it gave Chelsea fans something to talk about.
In evaluating all three of Chelsea's main midfielders, it seems that Kante and Kovacic have been able to level up past previous expectations this season. I cannot necessarily say the same for Jorginho. The Italian provides a sort of balance and control in the Chelsea midfield, which is challenging to attain. On the other hand, it forces Chelsea into heavily relying on his presence.
Jorginho stayed on the bench against Lille, and our style of play has been built around him for the last four years, but it would be crazy to give up on over-performing Kante or a progressing Kovacic.
The harsh reality is that one of these players will have to make way for the arrival of either Declan Rice or Aurelien Tchouameni. Kante has just shown Thomas Tuchel why it shouldn’t be him.
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