A large part of Chelsea’s problems this season have been their inability to defend crosses, and their lack of durability in the air. But on Saturday, that wasn’t an issue because Tosin Adarabioyo played.
Yes, it was against a struggling League One side in Port Vale and yes, Chelsea were expected to cruise into the next round. But Arsenal proved on Saturday night that even at this stage, FA Cup upsets are possible.
Chelsea got the job done, silencing some of the critics that come with four straight defeats and banning Enzo Fernandez from games against Port Vale and Man City. Seven different goalscorers for Rosenior, too.
Tosin Adarabioyo looks quality against Port Vale 👏🏻
Is it the easy opposition? Or is he starting to stake a claim?
Chelsea v Port Vale - Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
That will have delighted Rosenior. But another player’s outing should have caught the eye, especially with Rosenior’s side struggling to defend. Saturday was a fourth clean sheet in 20 games under Rosenior.
Tosin Adarabioyo’s stats against Port Vale prove he’s the solution
Tosin was handed only his fourth start of Rosenior’s reign, having picked up a hamstring injury in his only start under the new gaffer in the Premier League. That came in Rosenior’s first Premier League match.
Chelsea v Port Vale - Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final
Photo by Andrew Kearns – CameraSport via Getty Images
A 2-0 win over Brentford, in which Tosin went off just before the hour mark. The other three starts have come in the FA Cup, against Charlton, Hull and now Port Vale. The former Man City star was impeccable.
Consistently winning aerial duels, Tosin won more duels than any other player on the pitch. He completed a whopping 93 of 98 passes and even when in possession, he still thrived in transition, finding attackers.
Tosin is the answer to Rosenior’s defensive woes 👊
Impeccable performance against Port Vale.
Chelsea are the fifth-worst side for defending from crosses
A remarkable stat, given Chelsea currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League. This season, in the top tier, Chelsea have conceded 11 goals from crosses. Whether that be set-pieces, or from open play.
Three of the four sides below Chelsea currently reside in the relegation places – Burnley are bottom with 17, West Ham are second-worst (14) and Wolves are next (13). Bournemouth are the 16th worst (12).
Both of Arsenal’s goals in the most-recent clash between the two London sides came from crosses. The equaliser against Burnley. Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana have often been Rosenior’s pick to start.
But they lack that power, that aerial prowess, the ability to beat a striker to a long ball. Tosin has that. Chelsea’s best two defenders in the air are unavailable – Levi Colwill is injured, Axel Disasi is out on loan.
If Rosenior needed answers when asking who to start at centre-back against Man City next time out, then his performance against Vale answered that. Tosin absolutely has to start against his former club.
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