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Arsenal winger Willian has heaped praise on his former Chelsea teammate N'Golo Kante for the Frenchman's talismanic performance in the final of the Champions League against Manchester City on Saturday night.
N'Golo Kante delivered a vintage performance in Chelsea's 1-0 victory over Pep Guardiola's side in the final of the Champions League, for which he was awarded the Man of the Match award.
He neutralized Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden's impact on the game and initiated a number of Chelsea's attacks with a number of lung-bursting runs from midfield.
The 30-year-old was criticized for his inconsistent displays during the first half of the season under Frank Lampard but has refound his magic once again since Thomas Tuchel took over the reigns at Chelsea in January.
Kante has been instrumental in Chelsea's Champions League success this season. The World Cup winner was incredible for the Blues in their 3-0 aggregate victory over Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals, and their 4-1 victory over Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League this season.
Former Chelsea winger Willian played alongside N'Golo Kante for four years at Chelsea. He won a Premier League title, the FA Cup and the Europa League whilst playing alongside the Frenchman at Stamford Bridge.
The Arsenal star lauded N'Golo Kante for his performance against Manchester City in the Champions League final. The Brazilian wrote:
" What a player you are @nglkante," and added a fire emoji on his Instagram story.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel will look to build a midfield around N'Golo Kante for next season
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel will be eager to improve on his squad this summer despite winning the Champions League this season.
Chelsea finished fourth in the Premier League and will be looking to mount a serious challenge for the league title next season.
Despite being 30, N'Golo Kante has proven that he is still one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, and is currently at the peak of his powers.
Many fans and pundits have questioned whether Italian midfielder Jorginho is the right partner for Kante in midfield due to his lack of pace and physicality.
Thomas Tuchel could therefore, look to sign former Chelsea youth product Declan Rice from West Ham United this summer to partner with Kante in midfield next season.
