Chelsea 0-0 Southampton: 5 Hits and Flops

#4 Hit: David Luiz

Luiz enjoyed a memorable evening's work at the back, earning an important clean sheet

His defensive qualities and error-prone nature make him a scapegoat for scrutiny, but the Brazilian's fearless attitude, excellent passing range and sheer audacity to try the things he does, is awe-inspiring at times.

At 31, he's in the stage of his career where regular minutes is a necessity. So questions over his future are always going to intensify nearer transfer season, like now. But when he's delivering performances like this one against Southampton, it's difficult for Chelsea to let him leave. At least without the presence of a top-quality replacement.

He won four aerial duels - only Jan Valery (5) was more successful for both teams in the air. He made one tackle, one interception and six clearances while maintaining 86.2% pass accuracy on 94 passes throughout.

As previously mentioned, it's the fearless attitude that often sees him either in the firing line or praised for keeping teammates out of it. The latter was regularly the case here, whether he made an important block or defensive intervention, Luiz excelled.

His passing is what sets him out from most defenders - delivering some excellent over-the-top passes to create attacks from seemingly nothing as he did for N'Golo Kanté's winner against Crystal Palace last weekend.

The real question mark is whether he can sustain this level of performance consistently, especially against the better sides. As harsh as it may sound, keeping Danny Ings and Shane Long at bay is an easier task than if he was up against some of the league's better forwards.