Chelsea have now won five matches in a row, including a very impressive 3-0 win over Aston Villa and a massive 4-3 comeback victory over rivals Tottenham this past weekend.
The Blues are the second-best team in the Premier League behind only Liverpool, who are very likely the best team in all of European football right now under Arne Slot.
Chelsea have been quite impressive in their own right under new manager Enzo Maresca, who has immediately turned the Blues around from their lethargic selves under Mauricio Pochettino.
A number of big names are reaching their best level under Maresca this season, namely the potentially world-class midfield pivot of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.
Previously embattled No. 9 Nicolas Jackson is also have a great season, including in front of goal, and you can argue that only Erling Haaland is a better striker in the Premier League right now.
But there is another player who is turning his image around at Chelsea, albeit more quietly. Jadon Sancho was exquisite for Borussia Dortmund in the second half of the 2023/24 season and led the Bundesliga giants to the Champions League Final despite his club’s poor performances in league play.
Sancho, however, had question marks about his ability to play in the Premier League during his feud with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. Although his performances for Dortmund gave him the benefit of the doubt, there was skepticism that Sancho could have a similar impact at Chelsea.
After a dream debut with a game-winning assist against Bournemouth off the bench and assists in his subsequent performances, Sancho didn’t contribute to any goals in four games.
Sancho started to fade and receive criticism that, perhaps, Ten Hag was somewhat correct about the former England international. That mainly came after a woeful display against Liverpool in which the ex-Manchester City prospect was totally anonymous, with Chelsea falling 2-1 to the league leaders.
But aside from that, when you look at the overall picture, that was Sancho’s only truly bad game. He wasn’t bad against Aston Villa, and he’s either had a goal contribution or at least three chances created in literally every other game with meaningful minutes.
That includes an excellent performance against Tottenham on Sunday. Sancho scored to make it goals in two straight games for the Blues. Beyond the goal, he tore Spurs apart from the left wing with a customary three dribbles completed and two chances created.
There is no doubt that Sancho is an electrifying, game-changing winger who can score, create chances, and take on any defender. Chelsea need to trust him more often as a starter, because he has game-breaking, all-around ability on the wing that nobody else on this team does – not even Pedro Neto.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.