It is fair to say that Paul Merson was not impressed with what he saw from Moises Caicedo in Chelsea’s defeat to Manchester City over the weekend.
The midfielder has been one of Chelsea’s best players in the Premier League this season.
However, Caicedo’s form has really slumped in recent months and showed no signs of improving during the City game.
Chelsea without Reece James, discuss…
Malo Gusto and Jeremy Doku
Photo by Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images
Paul Merson claims Moises Caicedo can’t do Enzo Fernandez’s job at Chelsea
With Enzo Fernandez not selected, Caicedo had a bit more responsibility on the ball. Liam Rosenior needed the 24-year-old to build up play for Chelsea and get the ball into the team’s attackers, but he and his midfield partner Andrey Santos failed miserably at that.
For Merson, it is quite simple. Caicedo can do the duties of a defensive midfielder but not that much after that. Going forward, he does not want to see the Ecuadorian getting on the ball too much, claiming that is not his strength.
In a column for Sky Sports, he stated: “Moises Caicedo is a brilliant holding midfielder, but you can’t ask him to play that role; it’s not his game. It’s alien to him. He’s one of the best No.6s in the world, but you need Enzo in there to get on the ball.”
To put his performance into perspective, Caicedo was handed a 4.95 match rating by WhoScored. It is the lowest he has received in the Premier League since joining Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2023.
What has happened to Moises Caicedo?
Moises Caicedo match rating vs Man City
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Where Moises Caicedo needs to improve
Merson is right; Caicedo is a brilliant holding midfielder and his defensive stats show that. For example, the Ecuador international is making 2.9 tackles per game in the English top flight this season, which is the highest average in Chelsea’s squad (minimum of one start), according to WhoScored.
However, in possession, it is clear to see that there is room for improvement. For as good as Caicedo and Santos are, their ability on the ball was exposed when City pressed them.
Both men played it safe, making very simple and easy passes. In the second half, Chelsea did not really construct any attacks until Romeo Lavia came on the pitch.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox