Chelsea 2-0 Manchester City: 3 things observed | Premier League 2018-19

#2 Kante slowly turning into one of the most complete midfielders

Kante was sublime against Manchester City

Kante burst onto the world stage after his sensational performances powered Leicester City to a jaw-dropping triumph in 2015-16. At the culmination of the season, he found himself packing his bags for West London. In his first season at Stamford Bridge, he was immense as Chelsea marched to the title.

With Kante conjuring such displays on a weekly basis, there was a growing consensus that he was the best defensive midfielder on the planet. The Frenchman did his reputation no harm in the summer as he formed a vital component of France’s World Cup winning machine.

However, despite Kante being the best in his defensive midfield berth, Sarri opted to play the former in a more advanced role.

Initially, Kante faced problems adapting to his new role. Even though he popped up with a goal in his first game under Sarri, there was still a huge room for improvement offensively.

Recently though, the Frenchman has started displaying an increased attacking intelligence, meaning that he is making the right runs at the right time. His powerful finish past Ederson was Lampard-esque, and if he can muster even a quarter of the legendary Englishman’s goals, Sarri would be more than pleased.

Additionally, he gets through his fair share of defensive work. On Saturday, there was a 10-second stretch where Kante, despite being second favourite, won the ball twice and recycled possession for his side.

Having a midfielder capable of understanding his defensive roles while also being efficient in the offensive third is rare. While the former aspect was never in question with Kante, his adaptability to the latter facet marks him out as one of the most complete midfielders on the planet.

Hence, there can be no doubt that he is carving a niche for himself not just as a defensive midfielder, but as a more complete midfielder.