How Levi Colwill became new-look Chelsea’s key man before setting up perfect goal in Premier League clash
LEVI COLWILL has become a crucial cog in Enzo Mareca’s new-look Chelsea side.
The Blues have looked a completely different side since the Italian arrived in SW6 this summer and Colwill is no small reason as to why.
Colwill, 21, has played every minute of every league game for Chelsea so far this season.
And you can tell why Maresca is such a big fan of the England international, given that he is the perfect centre-back for the former Leicester boss’ system.
Colwill made it crystal clear that he’s the right man for the job against West Ham earlier in the season when he started off Maresca’s idea of a “perfect goal”.
Always on the ball
Colwill has been racking up an extraordinary amount of touches for the Blues this term – more than any other Chelsea player with an average of 79 touches per game.
But it’s not just about how often he’s on the ball, but rather what he does with it.
Colwill has been designated as the ball-player for Chelsea’s centre-half pairing with Wesley Fofana used as the more physical presence of the two.
The Cobham graduate’s passing ability is helping Chelsea become a far more direct team under Maresca – something they struggled with under Mauricio Pochettino.
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Pass-master
Colwill’s passing is all about breaking the lines and allowing Chelsea to push forward in the blink of an eye.
When the centre-back gets on the ball and gets his head up he is always looking to bypass the crowded midfield of the high press and create space for his team.
Nobody has passed the ball forward more than Colwill in the Chelsea team this season, in terms of yards.
Chelsea’s “tension-ball” tactics mean that Colwill can take advantage of the spaces being created by their midfield overloads and break the lines to start attacks for the Blues.
The perfect goal
That way of starting attacks was exemplified during Chelsea’s 3-0 win over West Ham last month.
Colwill picked the ball up in a deep area and immediately looked forward to try and progress the ball up the pitch.
He fired a 30-yard pass into Enzo Fernandez, bypassing three West Ham players in doing so.
That pass then allowed for some quick movement by the Chelsea midfield with West Ham’s middlemen now scrambling to get back into the right position.
Just two passes later and Nicolas Jackson was one-on-one with the goalkeeper and tucked it home to put Chelsea two goals to the good.