Thiago Silva produced an assured defensive performance as Chelsea secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Blues suffered a shock 3-0 loss to Leeds United last weekend, and made the worst possible start against the Foxes with Conor Gallagher being sent off in the 28th minute.
However, they produced a good response thereafter. Raheem Sterling scored his first two Chelsea goals after the interval before Harvey Barnes’ 66th minute strike for the Foxes.
The Foxes pressed ahead for the vital equaliser, but the Blues defence showed a tremendous resolve. Silva led the way with another superb showing, winning key challenges.
The Brazil international will turn 38 next month, but has shown no signs of slowing down. He was rock-solid against the Foxes, winning 10 of his 11 duels alongside five tackles.
He also made four clearances, blocked two shots and completed 87 per cent of his passes. Silva looked jaded towards the end, but managed to carry on for the entire 90 minutes.
Chelsea have made a mixed start to the current campaign, but they will be delighted with the victory yesterday.
With the result, they are on seven points from the opening four games. The club are sixth on the table, just goal difference behind fourth-placed Tottenham, who have a game in hand.
Next up, the Blues have an away trip to Southampton on Tuesday night before facing West Ham United in Saturday’s derby. Both are winnable games on paper if they turn up.
Silva could possibly be rested for one of those fixtures with the hectic schedule ahead. Kalidou Koulibaly should be back at the heart of the defence for Chelsea after his one-game suspension.
The Blues have picked up a red card in each of the last two outings, and manager Thomas Tuchel will be hoping that there is no repeat. He will be back in the dug-out after his touchline ban.
