Chelsea defender Thiago Silva received man of the match in the Blues' win against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup with the defender described as a 'brick wall.'
Silva received the award courtesy of Jermaine Jenas, who was commentating for the BBC, and one moment in particular summed up just why he edged the award over someone like Mason Mount. In the 67th minute, the Brazilian halted and intercepted a Duncan Watmore pass and showed his composure throughout the 90 minutes in the back four despite a few Boro scares that Chris Wilder's team posed throughout the 90 minutes.
After that one moment, former Spurs defender Jenas summed up his actions with a five word saying: "He's built like a brick wall." This was followed up by Alan Shearer and Jonathan Woodgate giving their own verdicts, with the former stating: "He had a pair of slippers on! He was that good.
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"He’s so focused and calm on the ball. Reading the game, it’s an outstanding performance. I’m lucky to watch him live, to be honest. He’s magnificent. He senses danger, that’s what the top defenders do. He is ahead of the game, two moves ahead, he plays the game like a game of chess. He’s been a fantastic signing for Chelsea."
Shearer followed this up: "He seems to know and read where the ball is going to go a second before the forward does. The amount of times he nips in ahead of them because he anticipates it, it’s impressive. A lot of the moves start with him because he’s not afraid to have the ball and handle it under pressure. He expects the same of his teammates, but he’s just a class act."
Chelsea and the higher ups including Thomas Tuchel will just be glad that despite all the turmoil off the field, Silva will be staying put for another year at least after signing an extension earlier in the 2021/22 campaign.
