Thiago Silva stood out for Chelsea as they slumped to a disappointing 1-0 Premier League defeat to Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Graham Potter’s side were on a three-match winless league run ahead of the London derby and they had the perfect opportunity to return to winning ways.
However, the performance was below-par from almost every Chelsea player aside from Thiago Silva, who stood out with several vital defensive contributions.
The 38-year-old came up with a crucial block to deny Gabriel Jesus in the first half. The Brazilian had dribbled his way into a superb scoring position, but Silva was on guard to deny his compatriot.
Over 90 minutes, Silva registered 72 ball touches. The former Paris Saint-Germain star won four duels with two tackles, two interceptions, two clearances and two blocked shots (WhoScored).
The centre-back was pivotal in keeping Mikel Arteta’s side at bay for the best part of an hour. The only demerit was his lapse in concentration in the lead-up to Arsenal opening the scoring.
Silva lost possession to Gabriel Jesus just outside of his box. The Brazilian saw his effort saved by Edouard Mendy, but the goal came from the resultant corner where Silva should have done better.
The central defender was still one of the players that was up for the challenge alongside Cesar Azpilicueta. The duo’s efforts were in a losing cause with Chelsea’s lack of threat in the final third.
The defeat should concern manager Graham Potter. His team were brilliant in the early weeks under him, but the performance levels have gone down the barrel with more and more injuries.
The Chelsea boss will be desperately waiting for the World Cup break with the way things have gone. The interval could allow his team to reset with some key players returning from respective injuries.
