Exactly 398 days after Moises Caicedo made his debut for Chelsea at West Ham United, the £115million signing continued to silence his doubters. And there are plenty.
When you are the subject of a British record transfer fee, there is always going to be scrutiny. Pressure on every kick you make. Criticism for every mistake. That is part and parcel of football.
However, people tend not to speak as much when Caicedo does what he does best. Dominate the midfield. That is precisely what the 22-year-old did as Chelsea cruised to a 3-0 victory at West Ham on Saturday afternoon.
Nicolas Jackson’s first-half double and a strike from Cole Palmer in the second period means Chelsea’s positive start to the season has continued. Jackson and Palmer, understandably, will receive most of the attention; warranted because of their class at the London Stadium.
However, Caicedo’s performance will perhaps go under the radar. Not with Chelsea fans, who are aware of just what a talented midfielder they have at their club. But from those that are quickest to point out a misplaced pass or a defensive mistake, it is time to have a serious think.
This is not a one-off, either. Far from it, in fact. Caicedo keeps adding top performances to his ever-growing catalogue – and it was integral to produce such form against a very physical Hammers midfield.
It is very easy to be physically dominated when up against players like Guido Rodriguez and Edson Alvarez but that was not the case whatsoever. Alongside Enzo Fernandez, the Blues dominated the midfield battle. So much so that Rodriguez was taken off in the first-half for Tomas Soucek.
Caicedo made an astonishing eight tackles throughout the 90 minutes in Stratford, while intercepting possession once. Those are his bread and butter – the things you would associate with the Ecuadorian but it is what else he did that capped an extraordinary display on Saturday.
A first-time through ball, played along the floor and weighted to absolute perfection put Jackson through one-on-one to score his second goal of the game. And while a pass of such quality does shock you, you almost were not too surprised because Caicedo does that often. It is just this time it was finished off so it counts on the stat sheet as an assist.
His passing range and variety is perhaps the most underrated attribute of Caicedo’s all-round game. Passing, of course, is so crucial in order to fit in under Enzo Maresca; who has now won three of his first five Premier League matches since being appointed as Chelsea head coach in the summer.
As Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali watched on from a sunny London Stadium, their biggest investment did things that expensive players tend to do. And their new head coach did things talented coaches do.
Albeit there have only been five games in the top-flight to see exactly what Maresca is doing, but so far the signs are certainly positive. The players, crucially, have bought into his ideology and his difference in style to that of his predecessor Mauricio Pochettino.
