Chelsea’s real best player against Crystal Palace is one of the Blues’ subtle stories of the season | OneFootball

After yesterday’s game, Enzo Maresca described 18 year old debutant Josh Acheampong as his team’s best player. But if you look closely, he says he was the best player when factoring in his age and lack of experience:

“I think for sure, Josh was our best player because of his age – it was his first game,” were the manager’s exacy words.

If you ignore that factor, we were perhaps even more impressed by his central defensive partner Levi Colwill in the draw.

Colwill is gradually emerging as a real leader, and he’s a key player for Maresca, starting every week when available. With injuries striking down so many other options at the back, it’s been essential that Colwill stayed fit and in form.

He was Chelsea’s best rated outfield player yesterday with a 7 according to WhoScored. As usual his passing was excellent, but he also put in a big block to bail out Jadon Sancho after the winger gave the ball away in a dangerous position.

Colwill’s development a massive marker from this season

Levi Colwill challenges Virgil van Dijk for a header in the Carabao Cup final 2024. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Colwill’s development has been one of the most interesting parts of this season to observe. He had a slightly patchy campaign last year thanks to a few injuries, but being available and needed consistently this season has made him into a proper reference point for the team.

His solidity make it possible to drop a youngster like Acheampong into the team without too many issues, and when we look back on this season, we’re sure we will consider Colwill’s ascension to undisputed number one central defender in the squad as a significant moment.