Stats show why classy Chelsea player under fire just weeks after celebrated return to team | OneFootball

The international break always provides a good moment to assess the progress of a player, and this November edition – coming 1/4 of the way through the new season – is as well timed as any to do just that.

One player whose progress we’ve been fascinated to watch through the new season is Romeo Lavia. After missing all but a few minutes of his first year at Chelsea out injured, this second season is really his first. Like most injured players, especially those whose teams are struggling, Lavia’s reputation only grew during his absence. And he got tons of praise for good showings in the first few games he’s played since he’s been back.

His partnership with Moises Caicedo has been widely admired, and we’ve written here about how it seems to have taken Caicedo’s game to the next level. It’s been solid enough to force £100m man Enzo Fernandez out of the team, despite the political trickiness of that decision by Enzo Maresca.

But the game against Arsenal at the weekend saw the first anti-Lavia grumblings, as once again our midfield looked devoid of creativity. That would be a worthwhile trade if Lavia was a real ball winning machine – but many would argue his defensive capabilities have been overrated.

Romeo Lavia running the ball through midfield.

Romeo Lavia needs more attacking production to justify selection

Lavia has played only 338 minutes this season, compared to Caicedo’s 975, which needs to be taken into account. However that’s enough to get some decent data.

Caicedo is the dominant ball winning force in Chelsea’s team, while Lavia is supposedly more of a playmaker. But Caicedo has 0.8 key passes per game, and plays 53.1 passes with a success rate of 88.4%. Lavia has the same key passes, but plays just 29.8 per game. His accuracy is higher, but he’s taking fewer risks: Caicedo plays 2.1 long balls and 0.3 through balls per game, as has picked up 2 assists from them. Lavia plays just 0.8 long balls, and has yet to play a through ball (at least according to WhoScored’s definition).