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UNMATCHED ENGINE: CAICEDO PROVES HE’S CHELSEA’S MOST VITAL PLAYER

After a rocky start, Moises Caicedo is now shining at Chelsea. Pundits like Joe Cole call him the "world's best midfielder," and his dominant stats prove his £115m fee now looks a steal for the Blues, who plan to keep him long-term.

Unmatched Engine: Caicedo proves he’s Chelsea’s most vital player
Caicedo rules the world’s midfield - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Caicedo has consistently performed well for the west Londoners after having a rocky start to life at the Blues following his £115 million move from Brighton.

He fought to regain possession of the ball and helped Joao Pedro in the first half, which was crucial to their 1-0 victory over Tottenham.

Alongside Declan Rice of Arsenal, Caicedo is considered by many to be one of the Premier League's top midfielders.

Cole, however, feels that his quality is superior on a worldwide level, to the point where Chelsea considers his nine-figure 2023 transfer fee to be a steal.

Chelsea star Moises Caicedo is referred to by Joe Cole as the world's best midfield player.


As he promoted his new book Luxury Player on talkSPORT Breakfast, he stated, "I think he is absolutely knocking on the door and possibly, he may be the no. 1."

"I think he is the best midfielder in the world between the two boxes," I recollect thinking when I watched him at Brighton.

"He is the greatest at breaking the lines and winning yards, which are key components of the contemporary game.

"He has amazing skill and is breaking up play, but I was wondering if he could score goals. Currently, he is including goals in his game. He is also growing as a leader on the other side of the field.

"In my opinion, he is Chelsea's most crucial player; if we were playing in the cup final tomorrow, I would want his name on the squad sheet before anybody else's.

"That £100 million now looks like a steal, and I think he is great."

Moises magic


Caicedo frequently covers every part of the field in both attacking and defensive situations, much like Chelsea great N'Golo Kante did.

Out of all the players in the Premier League this season, he has made the most interceptions—25.

In addition, Caicedo completed 90.8% of his 576 attempted passes and had a 73.1% success rate in dribblers tackled.

His reputation as one of the best midfielders in the nation is further supported by these stats, and former Blue Jason Cundy is a big admirer of him.

He claimed on The Sports Bar that "no one can touch him, he is the best at winning the ball back in the Premier League."

"He is an incredible machine, winning the ball, getting to balls he should not win, and winning balls he should not win."

The future of Caicedo at Chelsea


Caicedo consistently puts up outstanding performances; therefore, it is no surprise that other people are interested in him.

Despite being linked to Real Madrid, the 24-year-old is not interested in leaving Chelsea, according to people close to him who spoke to talkSPORT.

Additionally, Chelsea is unwilling to consider any offers for Caicedo, who is under contract at Stamford Bridge through 2031.

Since the end of the previous season, there has been a plan to reward him for his performances with better terms.

Chelsea's incentive-driven pay plan provides performance-based raises without requiring a complete renegotiation.

Caicedo has now made 112 club games and recorded seven goals and eleven assists.

WHY WAS COLE PALMER SUBBED? THE REAL REASON BEHIND THE STAMFORD BRIDGE BOOS

Fans booed as Cole Palmer was subbed in Chelsea's draw with Bournemouth. Learn why Maresca was absent and what’s next for the Blues.

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Managing Cole Palmer’s return

After Chelsea's 2-2 tie with Bournemouth, assistant coach Willy Caballero defended the choice to sub off Cole Palmer, even though fans at Stamford Bridge were angry about Enzo Maresca's move.

Fans booed, yelling, You don't know what you're doing! when Palmer—who'd been one of the team's better players—was taken out in the 63rd minute. The home team was trying to score and break their bad Premier League streak at the time.

Chelsea has only won one of their last seven league games. Caballero said afterward that head coach Enzo Maresca, who wasn't there for the post-game interviews due to illness, is still a role model for everyone at the club.

Still, the pressure is on the coach after yet another result slipped away. Chelsea has now lost 13 points at home from winning positions.

The mood got especially sour when Palmer, who just came back from an injury, was taken off in the second half.

Every fan wants the best players on the field, Caballero said. We do, too. But Cole is coming back from a long injury. So we have to figure out the best substitutions to win the game while also keeping our players healthy. We need them for the entire season.

Caballero said about Maresca's absence, "He hasn't been feeling well for the past two days." He had a fever two days ago. He did the last two practices because he wanted to get the team ready. But after the game, he went to the locker room and asked me to fill in because he wasn't feeling well.

He's handling it well and is very professional. He puts in a lot of hours every day, even when he wasn't feeling well the last two days. He loves to train and coach. He's a role model for me and the rest of the staff.

Bournemouth took the lead after six minutes when David Brooks scored on his second try after Robert Sanchez made a save. Then, Palmer scored a penalty to tie the game for Chelsea.

Next, Enzo Fernandez put the home team ahead, but the Blues couldn't hold on to their lead again. Justin Kluivert tied the score before halftime after Chelsea failed to handle a long throw-in from Antoine Semenyo.

There's been a lot of talk that this would be Semenyo's last game for Bournemouth before he moves to Manchester City soon. Before leaving the field, he seemed to say goodbye to the fans who had traveled to see the game.

Still, head coach Andoni Iraola was sure he'd play against Arsenal on Saturday.

It's not his last game here with us, he said. I can't say for sure, but I think he'll play.

He needs to rest. We've played two tough games in three days. We have Arsenal at home, so we're getting ready for another one, a tough game against the leaders. He's going to be important for us.

BREAKING: ENZO MARESCA SKIPS MEDIA AS CHELSEA CRISIS DEEPENS! GET THE HEALTH UPDATE

Enzo Maresca missed the post-match media due to a fever after Chelsea's 2-2 draw. Willy Caballero provides an urgent update on his health.

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Chelsea's winless run continues as Maresca falls ill

Enzo Maresca skipped media interviews after Chelsea's 2-2 tie with Bournemouth because he was sick.

The Blues coach was supposed to chat after his team snagged a point against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.

But right before he was about to talk about the game, news dropped that Maresca wasn't feeling good.

So, his assistant, Willy Caballero, stepped in to handle things in west London.

Caballero shared an update on Maresca: He's been under the weather for a couple of days, Caballero said. He had a fever two days ago.

After the game, he went to the locker room and asked me to fill in for him since he wasn't feeling well.

Caballero was asked if he'd be in charge against Manchester City on Sunday, like he was against Villa during Maresca's suspension.

"I'm not sure," he said. I just want Enzo to get better. I think he'll be fine in a day or two.

The draw with Bournemouth means Chelsea has only won one of their last seven Premier League games.

Fans were clearly annoyed during the second half when Cole Palmer was subbed out for Joao Pedro.

Palmer just got back to playing regularly after a groin injury, but some Chelsea fans wondered why he was taken out.

About the boos, Caballero said, "Of course, every fan wants their best players on the field, and so do we."

But Cole is coming off a long injury, so we have to figure out the right subs for the game and also look out for our players since we didn't have him for a while.

Chelsea and Bournemouth had a boring 0-0 draw in their previous match earlier in the month.

But the game at Stamford Bridge was totally different, with Bournemouth taking the lead early on through David Brooks.

Palmer leveled the score with a penalty, and then Enzo Fernandez blasted a shot into the top corner to put Chelsea ahead.

But Chelsea failed to defend a long throw for the second time, allowing Justin Kluivert to score for Bournemouth.

After playing City, Chelsea will face their west London rivals Fulham before an FA Cup game away against Charlton Athletic.

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