Think back to the summer time, Ben Chilwell was literally sitting around Gareth Southgate’s England team as a spare part. Whilst he was bought along with the group, Southgate didn’t once turn to Chelsea’s newly crowned Champions League winner to help in in his Euros quest.
Instead what he did do, was an absolute insult to Chilwell. Instead of picking him when he did have a chance to play him, Southgate opted for a right footed Kieran Trippier to play at left back ahead of Chilwell.
Chilwell suffered a pretty low summer due to this and his pre-season didn’t go off a lot better, nor did his start to the new Premier League season with Chelsea.
Thomas Tuchel sensed that he was suffering a little mentally after being ignored all summer for England, and it took a while for Tuchel to bring Chilwell back into his side. As well as the fact that Marcos Alonso was playing so well and keeping him out.
However, just look at the turnaround now just a short time later. Last night against Malmo, after Chilwell had been regularly playing back for Chelsea and even a couple games for England, Tuchel had the chance to rest him for Alonso to come back in, but he didn’t. He opted to keep going with Chilwell, who has been absolutely brilliant in a Chelsea shirt in recent games, and that is the trust that Tuchel now holds in him.
Chilwell could have kept his head dropped after the summer and start of the season, but instead he picked himself up, believed in his own ability, and made sure he earned that regular number one left back spot from Alonso and not lose it.
He is really showing the kind of form now that made Chelsea hunt him down and sign him from Leicester City last summer, and he has already become a firm fan favourite.
You have to admire his mentality and attitude to come from a low point to bring himself back up and back in to the regular Chelsea team. But he isn’t just turning up to make the numbers, he is really making a difference and has become one of Chelsea’s biggest attacking threats in the last few matches, scoring goals along the way.
What a great turnaround and long may it last.
