[Evan Lloyd
Evan Lloyd](https://www.footballinsider247.com/author/evan-lloyd)
Correspondent AUTHORITY NCTJ-qualified football journalist with experience at VAVEL, Hayters TV, SPORTbible, and Centredevils. FOCUS Premier League analysis, tactical deep-dives, and original opinion content across Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City, and Celtic. THE INSIGHT Evan utilises a network of club and industry contacts to deliver verified, high-speed reporting. He provides specialist tactical and analytical content to ensure fans get beyond the headlines and understand the full picture.
The Blues were beaten by Tottenham last week and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Liverpool in mid-week, with pressure mounting on Xabi Alonso.
But the midfielder was superb against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday and earned his chance on Saturday when Henderson was ruled out through illness.
Romeo Lavia dominates vs Man United
Up against the duo of Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos in midfield for Man United, Lavia looked levels above.
But the 22-year-old looked every bit a £58million player on Saturday, dominating from start to finish.
It was Lavia's good work in midfield that saw him hand the ball to Rogers for the opener, and his interception was involved in Chelsea's third before it was chalked off by VAR.
The midfielder created two chances, completed 90 per cent of his passes, 11 of which broke lines. But his performance was all about the defensive side of the game.
Lavia drew two fouls and won seven of his nine duels, seemingly able to come out on top in every exchange.
He led every player on the pitch in tackles and recoveries, making five and 14, respectively. He added four interceptions, too.
Talent has been promised of Lavia for several years, and the future will be incredibly bright if he can avoid more injuries.
The midfielder's injury issues were relentless, and there was serious concern that he would never be able to consistently feature.
But this season has been massively encouraging, and Lavia could not be happier.
"It's been a very long time since I've felt this good, physically and mentally," he said at the start of October. "I'm delighted. There's a lot of hard work behind it. It's a rebirth."