On loan Manchester United attacker Jadon Sancho at Chelsea
Jadon Sancho got two assists for Chelsea on Thursday night (Image: Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)
Jadon Sancho's performance at Chelsea has been significantly better than his time at Manchester United. It is still early days, but the facts bear it out.
It took him 65 games to reach five assists in all competitions at United, while he achieved the same feat in just seven games at Chelsea. Despite playing both Europa League and Champions League football with United, his Premier League record was less impressive as well, never exceeding three assists in a single league campaign.
At Chelsea, he has already matched that number in six Premier League matches. While some may argue that Sancho's recent assists were against weaker opposition, his lack of delivery in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup for United is notable. The statistics paint a clear picture: Sancho is performing better at Chelsea than he ever did at United.
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Even in his last Premier League start for the Blues - a relatively quiet game for the 24-year-old away to Liverpool in October - he could easily have won a penalty. That Enzo Maresca had the option to bring on a more suited paceman out wide in Pedro Neto is no slight on Sancho.
There are games he is a natural selection for and ones where he is not. Against a low-block at Bournemouth, he was the spark Chelsea needed, helped by an attacking full-back and midfield support.
When Marc Cucurella was not stationed as high up two weeks later against Nottingham Forest, it was more of a struggle. At Anfield, he had Malo Gusto out-of-position behind him, something that certainly didn't make for a conducive and smooth approach on that side.
This is a blessing not a curse for Chelsea and has helped them get a good balance from Sancho rather than piling the load onto him, as was the case at United. Instead of all the attention being on a £72million addition - the final piece of the puzzle, as he was heralded widely - there is more a sense of Chelsea having another good squad option, utilising him in a different way.
The same was largely true of his time at Borussia Dortmund, where he spent more time back on his favoured left wing rather than the right, a position United wrongly identified as being his best. At Heidenheim, in a first start for over a month due to illness and rotation, it didn't make a difference.
Sancho was a constant source of energy for Chelsea, working in tandem with Christopher Nkunku and operating behind Marc Guiu as a striker. The duo displayed impressive chemistry, outmanoeuvring Heidenheim with their dribbling skills and looking superior to the rest of the players on the pitch.
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It came as no surprise when Chelsea's first goal resulted from their collaboration on the right flank, with Sancho bypassing his full-back and delivering a precise cutback. He also assisted Mykhailo Mudryk in scoring the game-clinching goal later in the game, once again demonstrating his ability to create problems for the opposition by driving down the line and threatening to cut inside before finding another teammate on the edge of the box.
Axel Disasi, nominally a centre-back, didn't contribute much creatively or provide much support in the Heidenheim half, leaving much of the responsibility to Sancho. Despite the absence of Cesare Casadei to provide additional options on the ball, Sancho still managed to stand out for Chelsea.
This is perhaps expected given that Chelsea is the most successful and wealthiest club to have ever participated in this competition, but it was nonetheless a positive sign for Sancho. He could easily have let this opportunity to make a case for inclusion in the first team pass him by.
Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez have demonstrated that there is real competition within the squad in certain areas if players are willing to seize the opportunity. Sancho may not be given the chance to start against Aston Villa on Sunday to capitalise on his impressive return, particularly as Unai Emery's side leaves space that Neto is more likely to exploit.
However, this does not diminish his effectiveness or negatively affect his newfound vigour at Chelsea. By integrating him more fluidly into a larger group of players, Chelsea seem to be discovering a new way to maximise Sancho's potential - something United never achieved.
For Ruben Amorim, who is extremely unlikely to work with Sancho at United, the message should be clear. As well as getting a stronger set of performances out of the current squad, he will need to create an environment that allows for new signings to prosper.
United did not do that with Sancho (and a host of others) under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag, and Jose Mourinho going back even further. Sancho is one of the statement examples of the widespread recruitment wastefulness. Chelsea are the team to exploit it now.
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