Hull City v Chelsea - Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round - Source: Getty
Hull City v Chelsea - Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round - Source: Getty
Mamadou Sarr has set a new record after making his first start for Chelsea in an FA Cup fourth round clash against EFL Championship side Hull City.
The Senegalese defender was handed a rare start against the Tigers and he delivered a dominant performance at the back as Chelsea cruised to a 4-0 win at the MKM Stadium.
Sarr was recalled from his loan spell at Strasbourg earlier this month, and the 20-year-old showed exactly why the Blues requested his return on Friday, February 13.
Ahead of the match, head coach Liam Rosenior confirmed that Sarr would ‘definitely’ feature against Hull City. Sarr played the full 90 minutes alongside Wesley Fofana at centre-back, and the pair marshalled the defence, helping the Blues keep a clean sheet.
In addition to the shutout, Sarr achieved a feat that no other Chelsea centre-back has managed this season. The Senegal international finished the match with a 98% passing accuracy (completing 101 of 103 passes). This is the highest completion by any Chelsea centre-back in a single match this season (minimum 60 passes).
He registered a 96% passing accuracy in the opposition half (25/26) and a 99% passing accuracy in his own half (76/77). His long ball accuracy was perfect, completing three out of three. He also made six recoveries, blocked two shots, won four of seven duels, and wasn’t dribbled past.
According to Sofascore, he received a match rating of 8.5, the second-highest rating among all players on either team. Only Pedro Neto, who scored his first career hat-trick in the match, received a higher rating (9.4) than Sarr.
To date, Sarr has made just two appearances for the Blues, with his first being an eight-minute substitute appearance against Tunis Esperance in the FIFA Club World Cup last summer.
“He was everything that I expected” – Liam Rosenior reacts to Mamadou Sarr’s first Chelsea start
Rosenior spoke glowingly of Sarr after the defender impressed in his first-ever start for Chelsea. The English manager hopes Sarr can quickly adapt to life at the west London club, adding that the youngster understands the way he wants to play.
“Mamadou was everything that I expected,” Rosenior said post-match. “I know Mamadou so well. I think the acclimatisation, adaptation process for him hopefully will be faster because he understands the way I want to play, and he already showed that today.”
Interestingly, Sarr played under Rosenior at Strasbourg in the first half of the season.