Willian begins to repay Chelsea's hefty transfer fee

Chelsea’s Willian

Chelsea have almost guaranteed their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League with a comfortable 3-0 win over Schalke at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba sealed Chelsea’s 100th win in UEFA competitions and allowed them to take charge of Group E.

Jose Mourinho called for more hard work from his players after their dismal defeat to Newcastle United at the weekend, and they responded well.

Eto’o scored the goals that won the match but another attacker, Willian, impressed too. The Brazilian turned down Liverpool in the summer to sign for Tottenham, but then turned them down to sign for Chelsea for an eye-watering £30 million.

So far, he has not justified Mourinho spending that sort of money, however, last night’s performance was a glimpse into the real Willian.

Samuel Eto’o Second Goal v Schalke

The Brazilian made four key passes last night (which was 57% of Chelsea’s chances), one resulting in an assist for Eto’o’s second goal.

His Heat Map shows how busy he was down Chelsea’ right-hand side, even dropping deep to help defend. He strayed into the middle a few times and that was where he became dangerous.

Willian Heat Map v Schalke

His passing was fairly decent, misplacing just 10. As you can see from his completed passes map, all of his key passes came from when he played through the middle of the pitch. Perhaps this suggests that the Brazilian is being played out of position. However, it would be very difficult to oust Oscar or Juan Mata as the main, central playmaker.

Willian Passes v Schalke

Willian also displayed a different side to his game, winning two out of his three tackles and winning his only headed duel. He also completed two take-ons, one of which was in the build up to Eto’o’s second goal.

Willian Tackles v Schalke

The Brazilian attacking midfielder will need to continue impressing Mourinho if he is to stake a claim in Chelsea’s regular starting eleven, but performances like the one last night will do him no harm at all. Willian excelled on the right but drifted centrally a few times, becoming more dangerous on the ball in the process. His key passes highlight his ability to cause trouble in the central areas of the final third, which is something for Mourinho to mull over.

Willian didn’t have have an attempt on goal last night, but his creativity and all-round display was commendable. Maybe he is just starting to repay some of that £30 million splashed out by The Special One.