How Jorginho and N’golo Kante have been the driving forces for Chelsea this season
Chelsea look dominant under new manager Maurizio Sarri, who has made a fast start to life in the Premier League. The Blues are currently two points behind Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the table after a pulsating 2-2 draw vs Man United yesterday. They are also yet to be beaten in all competitions this season.
Though the Blues’ strikers have failed to make a significant impact this season, it has been the two midfielders who are proving to be the game-changers for the club – Jorginho and French World Cup winner N’golo Kante.
Kante has been winning hearts since making the move to the Premier League a couple of years ago and Jorginho has settled well into the Premier League so far. The pair seems to be playing in such a way that they have been alongside one another for a number of years.
While the £57m Jorginho ensures the smooth passing and distribution in the middle of the park, Kante, who was signed from Leicester for £30m, has flourished in a more advanced role under Sarri this season. The Frenchman shouldered the entire responsibility himself last season when Tiemoue Bakayoko miserably failed to hit the high standards.
But the arrival of Jorginho has provided Kante with a lot more freedom in the middle of the park and the ability to surge forward at will. For a player who is generally classified as a defensive midfielder, Kante has thrived in a more attacking role this season. He has picked up 1 goal already and has come close on many other occasions.
With Jorginho willing to do the dirty work in the middle of the park, Chelsea now have a perfect balance in the midfield. It’s not easy to oust Kante when it comes to defensive statistics but that’s exactly what the former Napoli man has achieved.
While they have a combined 35 tackles this season, Jorginho has trumped his teammate in terms of recoveries made and successful clearances.
The Italian’s superb range of passing has been massive for the Blues this season. He boasts a pass success rate of 90% in the Premier League this season. (Stats courtesy – Jorginho, N’golo Kante)
Jorginho broke the record set by Ilkay Gundogan last season for the most number of passes in a game. The midfielder successfully completed 180 passes against West Ham United, overtaking the previous record of 174 set by the Manchester City star. (Skysports)
Chelsea have looked a lot more cohesive and fluid in the middle of the park with Jorginho sitting in front of the midfield. This has allowed Kante to prove his versatility and develop his game further.
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The duo is surely Chelsea’s key component and is a driving force of the team. Not only have they made each other better, but the whole Chelsea team now looks a lot more refreshed with these two dictating the play.