“You need to have a really good football brain” - Pat Nevin delivers verdict on ‘outstanding’ Chelsea star during Everton draw
Former player Pat Nevin has praised Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo for his performance in the goalless draw with Everton on Sunday (December 22). The Ecuadorian was solid in the heart of the West Londoners' midfield, making six recoveries and winning eight out of nine duels.
In his playing days, Nevin featured for both teams in action at Goodison Park on Sunday, making 176 appearances for the Stamford Bridge-based side and 124 appearances for Everton. The 61-year-old was thrilled by Caicedo's performance. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports, the former winger said (via The Chelsea Chronicle):
“How many times have we seen Caicedo over in that right-back position so far in the game? He’s constantly going over there and covering because he has to. There’s a big gap there. Caicedo, very, very quietly, has been outstanding in this game so far.”
“He does ugly stuff very well. His covering has been great. Reading the play has been great… You need to have a really good football brain, Caicedo has got that," he added.
Caicedo has been at Chelsea since the summer of 2023 when he signed from Brighton and Hove Albion in a deal valued at € 116 million. He has since scored twice and provided seven assists in 67 appearances for the London side.
"I am very happy because the performance of the boys was fantastic" - Chelsea manager pleased with goalless draw at Everton
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was pleased with his side following their 0-0 draw away at Everton on Sunday. The London-based side could not add to their impressive string of victories in a spirited performance on the road ahead of the holidays.
Despite it being the first time since their opening day 2-0 defeat to Manchester City (August 18) that they failed to score in a Premier League game, Maresca was pleased with his side. Speaking with BBC Sports (via FotMob) after the match, the Italian said:
"I am very happy because the performance of the boys was fantastic, Sometimes you have to play a different game, and we are learning to play a different game. They are one of the best teams in Europe in terms of clean sheets. I said to the players I was more happy than [last week's] game at Brentford [Chelsea won 2-1], we tried everything."
The Italian has enjoyed a fabulous debut campaign in charge of the Londoners since his arrival in the summer from newly promoted Leicester City. The Blues sit second on the league table, four points off league leaders Liverpool.
