Afrigather Willian’s performance on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend highlighted simply why Frank Lampard is eager to see the Brazilian’s future at Chelsea resolved.
Whereas a lot of the main target this season has been trained on the excellent contribution of the children in Blues manager Lampard’s squad, Willian’s performances on the right of a front three have been constantly glorious.
The winger appeared to have misplaced his way in latest seasons, significantly last term when he struggled for consistency under Maurizio Sarri and appeared at risk of leaving the London club.
This campaign has been completely different, although, and Lampard will hope the player can encourage a return to home form when Southampton go to Stamford Bridge on Thursday following Chelsea’s spectacular 2-0 defeat of Jose Mourinho’s Spurs.
Season of transition
Willian was actually the stand-out performer in a show Lampard admitted was most likely his aspect’s better of the season after a worrying run of kind that had introduced 4 defeats within the earlier 5 Premier League games, included dwelling losses to Bournemouth and West Ham.
There have been at all times going to be frustrating periods for Lampard and his players in what’s a season of transition for for Chelsea, who’re nonetheless now fourth in the Premier League.
The duty of bedding in quite a few graduates from the club’s academy towards the backdrop of the pre-season transfer embargo has inevitably presented challenges.
Willian, although, has maintained impressively excessive ranges, showing rejuvenated below the club’s new manager.
Definitely Lampard seems to have discovered the important thing to drawing one of the best out of the 31-year-old whose work on the right has contributed to striker Tammy Abraham making such a significant impact in his breakthrough season at west London club Chelsea.
Willian’s work ethic had been questioned beforehand, together with his failure to trace again and help his full-back at instances highlighted last season.
This time round, there might be little question about his willingness to put in the hard yards.
And he has strengthened his hand in his contract negotiations with the club as he seeks a new deal that can preserve him at Chelsea beyond the end of this season.
Willian’s current deal runs out at the end of the present campaign, together with those of fellow thirty-somethings Pedro and Olivier Giroud.
With Chelsea’s two-window transfer ban having been halved, leaving the club to usher in new recruits next month, Giroud is more likely to go away in a bid to seek out the regular soccer he believes will increase his probabilities of being a member of hosts France’s squad for Euro 2020.
Pedro has been diminished to a fringe player and can be anticipated to maneuver on at the end of the season.
Willian, although, is a distinct matter and whereas Chelsea are notoriously reluctant to offer prolonged deals to players over the age of 30, the Brazilian may turn into an exception.
For his half, Lampard has made it clear he desires the South American to remain.
And whereas the supervisor has no intention of shifting his policy of selling younger players, he is aware of the worth of expertise.
“He is an important member of the club and of course I need it to be executed however obviously each side need to be completely satisfied for that,” stated Lampard when requested final month about Willian’s future.
Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta faces a late health check following a hamstring downside sustained at Spurs.
In the meantime the Saints, flirting with the relegation zone, might be without Shane Long for the entire of the busy Christmas programme due to a knee damage the striker suffered during last week’s win at Aston Villa.
