After a superb performance against Tottenham, I’ve decided to write an article on our bargain of the season: Cesar “DAVE” Azpilicueta. His game versus Spurs was another great display, having Gareth Bale, the PFA player and young player of the year, under control for most of the 90 minutes.
His start here at the Bridge was anything but easy, playing his first game for Chelsea not until the 6-0 win over Wolves in the Capital One Cup. Azpilicueta joined us for €9million (we paid €20m for Bosingwa) at the beginning of the season from Marseille. Now, after nearly a year, he’s became our first choice right-back and will probably cover this position for the years to come. The appointment of Rafael Benitez clearly did Azpi well, as he made remarkable improvements. But enough about Dave, here’s why Azpilicueta is our bargain of the season.
Age
Azpilicueta is only 23 and he still has a lot of potential. Young and good fullbacks are rare in comparison to other positions nowadays. Azpi is already an impressive young player who has already played in a lot of important games. It will be difficult for him to reach the level of greats players like Philip Lahm but he’s on his way.
Consistency
Modern, but consistent: Two contrasts in today’s football. Nowadays, it’s very hard to find a consistent young player and Azpilicueta is one. He never really was absolutely brilliant in a game, but also never disastrous. He’s a reliable player who fulfills his duties and does whatever the manager asks him to do. His high work rate also allows him to be consistent week in and week out.
Work rate
Whether in the attack or in the defence: Azpilicueta’s work rate is very remarkable. He runs up and down his right flank. Dave is a pacy lad who can run, pass and dribble. He represents exactly what a modern day fullback is (very involved in the game, good passing and good runs) like.
Different style
Azpilicueta brings what I missed a lot in our present game: Width. None of our three attacking midfielders tend to go down the wings that often and they much rather prefer cut inside. He’s got a decent crossing ability and good pace as I mentioned earlier. He adds alot of width to the team and adds a different style of play which sees more crosses being delivered into the box. One of his best crosses into the box this season has been against Aston Villa at home to which Torres got his head to and scored a fantastic opener.
Stability
Like every player, Azpilicueta has also made some mistakes, e.g. Against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final. But, he doesn’t make a lot of such errors. Azpi doesn’t neglect his defensive duties despite being involved in out attacking play very often. He isn’t the strongest tackler or marker, but he’s solid at the back and that’s what Mata’s.
The best is still to come from the 23-year old. His defensive work isn’t always the greatest and he can be caught out of position at times but he definitely is our bargain buy of the season for €9 million after some massive performances in his first season at Chelsea. Dave has definetly got all the potential in the world to someday become one of the best right-backs in the world and also play a massive role for the Spanish national team.
Leave your thoughts on this article in the comments below! Jonny (@jonny9fan)
