Chelsea defender Thiago Silva is not only having to put in top class defensive displays for the Blues, but is also having to mentor his two team-mates Kalidou Koulibaly and Trevoh Chalobah, according to pundit Garth Crooks.
Chelsea won 2-0 away to Aston Villa in yesterday’s Premier League clash, and veteran Brazilian centre-back Silva was once again a key performer for Graham Potter’s side.
Silva’s fine form earned him a place in the Premier League team of the week selected by Crooks on BBC Sport, and the pundit added that Silva has to help out two of his less experienced defensive colleagues as another part of his job in Graham Potter’s team.
Discussing Silva’s fine contributions to the Chelsea team, Crooks said: “Chelsea made hard work of it against Aston Villa in the first half having gone 1-0 up at Villa Park. What Marc Cucurella is doing at the club never mind on the pitch at Villa Park I don’t quite understand.
“Graham Potter, having sold the player when manager at Brighton, has now inherited him at Chelsea but the Spaniard is not a top-four defender and it is showing.
“Thiago Silva on the other hand is not just a top-class defender but is having to mentor Kalidou Koulibaly and Trevoh Chalobah in the process. The Brazilian is calm, cool and sophisticated, and head and shoulders above anyone in the Chelsea back line.”
Chelsea fans will be thrilled with how the signing of Silva has worked out, with the 38-year-old clearly still one of the top centre-backs in the game, despite his age.
Even when Silva first made the move from Paris Saint-Germain, it looked a bit of a risk as he made his way to the Premier League for the first time in his career, and he didn’t get off to the best start.
Now, however, he’s a rock solid performer for Chelsea and is sure to go down as one of their best recent signings, given that he joined on a free transfer.