Chelsea host Championship outfit Barnsley in the third of the Carabao Cup this evening following their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
The Reds' dynamic hustling of Chelsea's backline throughout the 90 minutes highlighted old weaknesses of a new look Blues, who failed to play out from the back effectively and assert any dominance in their own box.
Yet the aforementioned defensive frailties could start to be alleviated with the presence of new signing Thiago Silva, who is expected to make his highly-anticipated debut following his pro-longed preseason break after the Champions League Final last month.
"Thiago Silva is in the squad for tomorrow," Frank Lampard announced in his pre-match press conference yesterday.
"He’s getting fit so I’ll make a decision on how many minutes he may get during the game depending on what’s best for him."
When question about his chance to take to the pitch with his new teammates, Silva commented:
"This is a really important moment for me. It is another opportunity in my life, I am well-prepared, I have been working hard towards it so tomorrow is my first game and I think it will go well given the way we have been training. Little by little we are getting to the level where we have to be."
Though the question remains, how effective will veteran centre-back's arrival be at Stamford Bridge, both on and off the field?
A brief overview
Technically and physically, Silva's ability has never been in doubt.
His dominance during his primitive years at Juventude and Fluminense earn't him the nickname 'O Monstro'- meaning 'the Monster'- because of how assured he was in his own ability at such a young age.
Silva's subsequent move to AC Milan gave the then 25-year-old the platform to shine on a European stage alongside club legends Alessandro Nesta and Pablo Maldini, and was named the rightful heir to Franco Baresi- by no other than the man himself.
“It’s difficult to identify where he can still improve,” said Baresi. “He has already proven that he has everything.”
Then in 2012, the Brazilian swapped Milan for Paris in a £38m transfer- a record breaking deal for a defender at the time.
His spell at Paris Saint Germain was laden with trophies- consisting of seven Ligue 1 titles and six Coupe de la Ligue trophies- and was named in the team of the year in every one of his eight consecutive seasons in the French capital.
Now 36, Silva is about to start a new chapter of his lustrous career at Stamford Bridge, joining an evolving Chelsea side.
Such is the footballing world, his status as one of the best in his position will continue to be questioned over the course of the season because of his age.
Though his numbers from the last campaign will suggest that he is not slowing down and is still performing at a world-class level.
Tactical analysis
On the ball
Silva's biggest strength is his passing.
Playing in a possession based PSG system last year, Silva averaged 71.2 passes per game with a 95.5% success rate in 21 Ligue 1 appearances.
In comparison, leading Premier League defender Virgil Van Dijk averaged 86.8 passes with 89% success, connoting the world-class level Silva is still performing at.
Last season, Chelsea defenders struggled to play through the lines and switch the play with long balls. In comparison to Silva's pass completion percentage:
- Antonio Rudiger- 52%,
- Kurt Zouma- 56%
- Andreas Christensen- 48%
The fact Silva is experienced playing in a possession based system is a further positive for the Blues due to Lampard’s willingness to use defenders who can play out from the back in 4-3-3 that transitions to a 3-2-5 in possession.
In the air
Aerially, Silva averaged 2.55 aerial duels per game, winning 1.49 of those, equating to approximately 77.6% success rate.
Chelsea have infamously struggled with set-pieces and crosses all last season, and the addition of Silva will improve their presence in the box. In comparison to the aerial duels won by the centre-backs in Chelsea's ranks:
- Rudiger 59%
- Zouma 74%
- Christensen 58%
Up the other end of the pitch, Silva also shown his ability to attack set pieces successfully, scoring 21times since 2010.
In the tackle
From a defensive perspective, Silva averaged 1.3 tackles per game, 3.04 clearances, 0.76 blocks per game and 1.26 intercepts while only committing 0.4 fouls.
If we were to compare with Van Dijk once more who’s stats were 0.7 tackles, 4.2 clearances, 0.3 blocks and 1.1 intercepts while committing 0.4 fouls per game, it shows that Silva is still one of the best.
Natural born leader
Captain of his country, and former PSG skipper, Silva is a proven leader.
Statistics and ability aside, his leadership on and off the pitch is one of the main reason why Chelsea signed him.
Silva’s experience will bring much needed guidance that Chelsea's youthful squad lack last season and will be the ideal role model for the younger defenders.
As soon as he signed for Chelsea, the leadership he will bring to the side was well-documented.
So much so, the player spoke about what he will contribute to the team away from the spotlight:
"Off the pitch it is basically the same thing. I have my experience in my career with all that I have won and it is important to show the younger players that just playing matches isn’t enough. They need this preparation to be ready and in the best state possible, and they must see how important it is to win things because people who are successful and win things are remembered."
Former teammate and compatriot Pedro Geromel has spoken on Silva's leadership to great extent in the past, commenting:
"I can tell you that Silva is a very intelligent person. He was always talking to me, giving me instructions in training, but he is also modest enough to listen to advice. He pushes himself to the limit and always wants to improve."
Possible negatives
Due to his pace declining gradually, Silva has been criticised for dropping deep to compensate.
Other than set-pieces, Chelsea have also been vulnerable to the counter-attack, and Silva’s lack of pace will certainly not solve his issue.
Although his age may not effect his technical ability, it may cause his physical condition to dwindle.
With age, his body may not be able to keep up with the demanding Premier League schedule- especially these unprecedented times. So you can guarantee his fitness will need to be monitored closely by Lampard throughout the season.
Final verdict
Silva’s pedigree is beyond dispute. More than a decade of excellence at. both AC Milan and PSG has established him as one of the finest centre-backs of his generation.
At his best, he has produced performances that suggest no weakness; dominating the field both in the air and on the floor, all while passing with ambition and gravitas.
Signing Silva on a free was a no-brainer for Chelsea and will be a huge boost for their notoriously shaky defence.
Considering his performances on the big stage and his ever-present pedigree, the positives far outweigh the negatives.
Let’s just hope he can sustain a season or two in Premier League.