Is Juan Mata worthy of a starting place at Chelsea? The statistics
Since the return of Jose Mourinho it has seemed like Juan Mata has been frozen out of the Chelsea side. It is something that has bemused fans all across the world.
35 league appearances last season appeared to show he was a vital cog in the Chelsea engine but what has changed this year? Are Andre Schurrle and Kevin de Bruyne really that good? Let’s look at the stats from last season.
De Bruyne and Schurrle were seen strutting their stuff in the German league, for Werder Bremen and Leverkusen, respectively. Both obviously had very good seasons for their clubs. De Bruyne had been already bought by Chelsea and sent back out on loan for the 2012-2013 season.
Both players chipped in with goals, Schurrle with 11 and De Bruyne with nine. Schurrle also had nine assists and De Bruyne, seven. Both solid stats and Mourinho saw enough in both to keep them in his first team plans.
In the front three behind the striker that Chelsea play, if Mata was to miss out, then one of these two were going to take his place. Mostly it has been Schurrle, but he has yet to score or create a goal thus far although De Bruyne does have one assist to his name.
As for the other three how did they fare last season? Let’s start with young Brazilian Oscar.
It was a learning curve for him last season. His first season in the Premiership and in some games he shone in others he did not. Just four goals and five assists but he did manage 46 key passes something that wouldn’t have gone to miss from Mourinho.
Eden Hazard sparkled at the start of the season but the intensity of Premier League football seemed to catch up with him as the season wore on. Nevertheless he managed nine goals and 11 assists in a successful first season. He also managed slightly more key passes as well, 54 to be precise.
And last but not least the man everyone has been talking about, Juan Mata.
12 goals ranks above all of this year’s teammates as does 12 assists. He also managed 83 key passes in his 35 league games showing his effectiveness all around the pitch. The stats seem to show that, in the final third, Mata was more effective than all of his teammates. What Mourinho thinks Mata needs to improve on before he gets into his side is anyone’s guess.
Maybe it’s a more defensive side. We know how Mourinho likes to keep things tight (see Inter Milan). It was different at Madrid. You couldn’t keep it tight with the likes of Ronaldo, Ozil and Di Maria galloping forward. Maybe that’s why he fell out with a lot of people.
But whatever the case may be, the evidence seems clear. Mata is worth a place in the Chelsea side.
1 comment