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In a FA Cup fourth-round tie at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea defeated Championship side Sheffield Wednesday 3-0. It was Willian who was the star of the show with two rare goals to his name. 18-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi also found the back of the net with a second-half goal. The victory means Chelsea will find their name in the FA Cup fifth round draw which will take place on Monday.
Having played a hectic League Cup semifinal against Tottenham Hotspur only three days ago, Maurizio Sarri made eight changes to the Chelsea team. The showpiece event of the day was the debut of new signing Gonzalo Higuain
The highlight of the match probably took place in the space of a couple of minutes in the first half. Not long after the clock crossed the 20th-minute mark, a challenge by Etham Ampadu saw the referee point to the penalty spot. However, VAR was in use and came to Chelsea's rescue as replays showed the Welsh International got a touch of the ball.
Almost in the next sequence of action, former Chelsea player Sam Hutchison fouled Cesar Azpilicueta in the box and the Blues took the lead from the subsequent penalty by Willian.
#3 Jorginho's absence was felt
A common theme after every negative result for Chelsea this season has been the scapegoating of Jorginho and calls for N'Golo Kante to play in his role. While in Thursday's emphatic win over Tottenham, Kante once again showed his value in the new role and Jorginho displayed his abilities in one of finest performances since joining the new club, it was against Sheffield Wednesday that the importance of Jorginho was visible
A rest for Jorginho was extremely important but due to the sale of Cesc Fabregas, the Blues did have a direct replacement to pick from. Sarri has spoken a lot of times about the importance of the position in his system and the need for a specialist.
It was Ethan Ampadu who Sarri deployed in the system and one could clearly see why the Italian coach wants a new signing to replace Fabregas. Playing for the first time in the role under Sarri, Ampadu barely looked comfortable and Sarri's displeasure was visible as he moved Mateo Kovacic to the position in the second half.
The implications of this were evident as the hosts barely made any use of the possession. While Ampadu is a young player and its no surprise that he will take time to adapt to a new role, it should be remembered that his attributes are more suited to a defensive position.
After Jorginho came into action for the last ten minutes, Chelsea looked like the different team to the entire match. The intensity of every player improved as Chelsea moved the ball a lot quicker and with more intent.
While Jorginho's lack of assists is talked about, it is time people appreciate what he brings to the team. He is the player that recycles possession and builds the team's tempo. He has a couple of bad games but so have the rest of the squad. It's important for the club to realise this and give Sarri a viable backup for him to ensure Jorginho does not burn out at such a vital stage of the season.
#2 Losing Callum Hudson-Odoi will come to hurt Chelsea
Despite reports of him handing a transfer request late last night, Callum Hudson-Odoi surprisingly started the game for the Blues. While it was not the perfect performance from him, he still showed his worth by scoring a goal with an incisive finish.
Thought his final pass was not at its best today, he continued to show his raw ability by constantly beating players through his dribbling. The 18-year-old has only got five starts for the club this season but has managed two goals and five assists in them.
Going into the last week of the transfer window, Hudson-Odoi's future is the biggest talking point. The future of the talented player depends on whether Chelsea will finally give in to Bayern Munich's interest or not. There is an obvious reason behind why a club of their stature are willing to bid close to their club record fee for the teenager. It only shows how talented the player is.
Chelsea can only blame themselves for the situation they're in because of the precedence they have set with young players. Every Chelsea fan will confirm the claim that Hudson-Odoi deserves a lot more than only 60 minutes of league football.
If he does leave Chelsea, it is more than likely to be one that Chelsea will regret like Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah. This one will probably hurt a lot more due to him being an academy product and a homegrown talent.
#1 Andreas Christensen deserves more game time
Another youth player with his future at Chelsea in doubt is Andreas Christensen. At this time last year, The Danish International had established himself as a regular started under Antonio Conte. It finally looked like an academy player had broken through at Stamford Bridge.
However, he lost his place in the side by the end of the season due to a loss in form. Upon his arrival, Maurizio Sarri has made Antonio Rudiger and David Luiz as his first choice centre back pairing. As a result, Christensen has featured in only one Premier League game this season.
While Christensen's confidence was clearly low at the start of the season, it looks like he is starting to get it back. His impressive performance in the first leg of League Cup semifinal against Tottenham where he ensured Son could not affect the game showed that the 22-year-old is finding his feet again.
On Sunday evening, he once again showed his abilities as he looked remarkably composed in bringing the ball out from the back which is one of his finest qualities. Christensen also registered the first assist of his Chelsea career with a fantastic diagonal pass to Hudson-Odoi.
The Danish defender is rated as one of the best young central defenders in the world and should he decide to leave Chelsea, there will be a shortage of suitors of the highest level as proved by Barcelona's interest in him last month. It is crucial for Chelsea to convince him that his future is at Stamford Bridge.
One cannot deny that Rudiger and Luiz's performances this season do not warrant them to lose their place. However, Christensen could easily get minutes with viable rotation. To compete in multiple competitions you need a squad which has more than just a quality first 11 like at Manchester City. While Sarri will want a squad like City, he will also have to look at Pep Guardiola's rotation policy and keep his players happy with their role at the club.
