Mateo Kovacic has become the best creator at Chelsea this season and maybe the apt successor of Cesc Fabregas.
With 5 assists in all competitions, Kovacic has made the most assists for the Blues this season. While his vision and passing is not on power with Fabregas, Kovacic has a better physique which helps him dominate the midfield.
However, both the midfielders are different players performing different roles in the game.
Fabregas impact on Chelsea in the title winning campaigns
The former Arsenal player, during his time at Chelsea, was an absolute magician. As the team’s no.10, Cesc had the ability to create a chance from any given position. His vision and playmaking were pivotal in Chelsea’s league success in 2015 and 2017.
His goal distribution skills saw the Blues win the league in the aforementioned seasons under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. Outside of Eden Hazard during that time, Fabregas was the fans’ favourite Chelsea player. He could change a situation, a half, a game, a season in one pass.
The 34-yrs-old Spaniard got 18 PL assists in 34 PL games for Chelsea in 2014/2015, playing in a pivot. For comparison, the 4 current pivot players at Chelsea (excluding Saul), have 31 PL assists between them in a cumulative total of 511 PL appearances.
Kovacic is the shining new star at Chelsea
While Fabregas was a playmaker, Kovacic on the other hand is a mast dribbler. The former Real Madrid player is a great ball carrier and efficiently links up with the attack and defence.
Prior to this season, Kovacic’s best seasonal record in the Premier League was the three assists he made in 2019/20. Compared to that, Croatian is on an elite level this time. Even though he could not manage to get to the top at Madrid, his partnership with midfielder Jorginho at Chelsea is doing wonders for him.
Kovacic’s assist for Callum Hudson-Odoi in Saturday’s win over Norwich City or the one for Romelu Lukaku against Aston Villa last month suggests that he has the vision to increase his output.
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