It’s safe to assume that Moises Caicedo’s performance during Chelsea’s weekend loss to Manchester City did not impress Paul Merson.
This season, the midfield player has been among Chelsea’s top players in the Premier League.
But Caicedo’s performance has drastically declined in recent months, and he didn’t show any indications of getting better during the City match.
Paul Merson asserts that Moises Caicedo is incapable of replacing Enzo Fernandez at Chelsea.
Caicedo had a little more responsibility with the ball because Enzo Fernandez was not chosen. The 24-year-old was required by Liam Rosenior to develop Chelsea’s play and move the ball into the team’s forwards, but he and his midfield partner Andrey Santos were utterly unsuccessful in doing so.
It’s quite easy for Merson. Caicedo can perform defensive midfielder tasks, but not much more. He claims that the Ecuadorian is not good at going to the ball; thus, he does not want to see him do so in the future.
“Moises Caicedo is a superb holding midfielder, but you can’t ask him to play that role; it’s not his game,” he said in a Sky Sports essay. He finds it strange. He’s among the world’s top No. 6s, but in order to get on the ball, you need Enzo.
Caicedo received a 4.95 match rating from WhoScored to help put his performance into perspective. Since joining Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2023, this is the lowest salary he has ever received in the Premier League.
Moises Caicedo’s areas for improvement
Merson is correct; Caicedo’s defensive statistics demonstrate that he is an excellent holding midfielder.
For instance, according to WhoScored, the Ecuador international is making the most tackles per game in Chelsea’s squad (minimum of one start) with 2.9 tackles per game in the English top division this season.
Nonetheless, it is evident that there is space for improvement in possession. Even though Caicedo and Santos are excellent players, City’s pressure revealed their skill with the ball.
Both men made very basic and straightforward passes, playing it conservatively. Before Romeo Lavia entered the game, Chelsea had not really developed any attacks in the second half.
