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Saturday’s win over Manchester United was not only an important win for Chelsea, but it also saw one of Xabi Alonso’s players produce his best-ever performance in a Chelsea shirt.
The Blues are back in the top four after a superb 2-0 win, with Chelsea taking full advantage of Lisandro Martinez’s red card. A goal from Morgan Rogers was followed by Cole Palmer’s penalty, enough to win.
But it could have been very different. Man United edged the first half, having a goal disallowed while individual mistakes from Wesley Fofana might have cost Chelsea had United been in a confident mood.
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Gerrard highlights importance of Lavia in Chelsea’s midfield
Lavia produced what many believe to be his finest Chelsea performance on Saturday. A whopping 23 defensive contributions throughout – 12 more than the next-best player – he got the assist for Rogers.
Off camera, Moises Caicedo, Fofana and Levi Colwill all celebrated with Lavia after Rogers had scored, highlighting just how big a role he played in breaking the deadlock. Gerrard was impressed by him.
“Lavia is really important for Chelsea. I think he, alongside Moises Caicedo, gives them a really strong midfield base. They’re two top midfielders; I really like the base that they give to Chelsea,” Gerrard said.
Romeo Lavia or Alex Scott? Who would Moises Caicedo rather start alongside and why?
Lavia please he believably a better option
I would really, really like to see Scott play alongside Caicedo but maybe that’s a grass is always greener approach.
If it was a level playing field, Lavia. But given his fitness issues, it's got be Scott regularly? Nice headache to have!
“A strength to go and attack from. Lavia was fantastic for the Rogers goal, stealing the ball,” Gerrard continued on Monday’s Overlap Daily, underlining just how well the Belgium international played.
Gerrard is one of the finest midfielders the world has ever seen, but he’s not the only one who has been left praising Lavia. France manager and Real Madrid icon Zinedine Zidane praised Lavia during the break.
Lavia got an assist for Belgium against France during the international break. Zidane said: “I really liked his pass; I watched it again in the changing room at half-time, during the analysis. He’s a quality player.”
The selection headache Alonso faces ahead of Sunderland
The issue Alonso now has ahead of a trip to Wearside is who to play in midfield, who to play at centre-back, and who to play on the right. There are murmurs that Joao Pedro could be available this weekend.
What does that mean for Estevao? Does Alonso retain a back four, allowing for wingers when the Blues go to the Stadium of Light? Who does he pick in midfield – Lavia or Jordan Henderson, who was ill?
Then there is the issue at centre-back. Fofana is becoming a liability; even Gerrard joked he was Man United’s best player. It comes after two big mistakes in the Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool last week.
Does Alonso try something else in central defence? The Spaniard has often made a surprise change to his line-up – Geovany Quenda against Spurs, for example. The XI for Sunderland is almost impossible to pick.