Match Report: Shaw Impressive Despite Saints' Loss To Chelsea
“No. No. I don't want Portuguese players. I always had them but, at this moment, it's enough,” Chelsea manager José Mourinho said when asked if he's keen on signing Fabio Coentrão in January. The duo worked together at Real Madrid and the left-back has been linked with a move to the Blues recently as a result of Ashley Cole's ongoing injury problems.
Ryan Bertrand appears out of favour under Mourinho, while right-footed César Azpilicueta, as impressive as he has been, is out of position when played at left-back, thus instigating the rumours of Coentrão moving to Stamford Bridge. However, with the Blues hosting Southampton on Sunday afternoon, it allowed the Chelsea boss to take a closer look at youngster Luke Shaw.
The 18-year-old, a product of Saints' famed youth academy, has been mooted with a potential switch to the west London side, such has been his performances for the south coast outfit upon their return to England's top tier last summer. His average WhoScored rating following Sunday's encounter now sits at a solid 7.01, only 4 Southampton players have scored higher this season, and he reinforced his top flight credentials with a noteworthy performance in the defeat against Chelsea.
Shaw exhibited his Premier League quality over the 90 minutes, attainting a rating of 7.4, seeing his display bettered only by Jose Fonte and Dejan Lovren (both 7.7) of every Saints player. Showcasing his talents in front of Mourinho in the second half is likely to have left the Blues boss suitably impressed as he pushed forward with verve, utilising his incredible level of fitness to not only attack Chelsea, but return to his starting position to carry out his defensive duties.
The teenager regularly pressed high up the pitch in order to both minimise the impact of Blues' right-back Branislav Ivanovic and offer a further attacking threat to his team. This is highlighted in the 4 successful dribbles he completed in the encounter, with no player bettering that figure.
Unsurprisingly, this saw Saints capitalise on his ability to break higher up the pitch, with 42% of their attacking touches of the ball coming down the left flank; comparatively, only 32% were from the right and 26% through the centre. Moreover, Shaw's touches took place, on average, just short of the halfway line, such was his intention to put his side on the front foot.
Such is the exceptional passing ability of Oscar, Juan Mata and Frank Lampard, along with Eden Hazard's tendency to cut in from the left, Shaw might just flourish in this team. Defensively, the England U21 international impressed, making 5 tackles, 5 clearances and 1 interception for Mauricio Pochettino's side, despite being part of a defence that shipped 3 goals in Saints' eventual 3-1 defeat.
At present, however, his arrival isn't necessarily the be all and end all. As previously mentioned, Azpilicueta has proven a solid, if not spectacular, stand-in at left-back, despite doubts over whether he would succeed in the role. Yet, his rating of 8.0 in the encounter indicates that he's more than deserving of retaining the starting spot in the Chelsea backline, even if he is in a position that's relatively alien to him.
Rumours will continue to circulate suggesting that Chelsea will move for supposed long-term target Shaw come January and unsurprisingly so. His performance is likely to have left a lasting effect on Mourinho, regardless of how impressive Azpilicueta was on Sunday and with less than a month before the transfer window reopens, reports that Chelsea are prepared to move for the youngster will pick up pace, especially if Shaw can maintain this form over the hectic festive period.
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