As Cesc Fabregas prepares to return to
the Emirates Stadium for the first time since his departure in 2011,
Nick Wright takes a look at his impact for Chelsea – and what might have
been for Arsenal…
"Arsenal is in my heart and always will be. It's a club that is always going to be there and will always open its doors to me.” Those were the words of Cesc Fabregas in October 2013, but eight months later he found the door firmly shut by Arsene Wenger. There was to be no fairy-tale rete
Wenger caused uproar among Arsenal fans when he declined to activate their buy-back clause for their former captain and Chelsea were the benefactors, clinching a £30million deal to sign the Spaniard from Barcelona last summer. Fabregas hasn’t looked back.
"I spoke with Mourinho and he told me the things I needed to hear,” he told El Pais in September. “I felt valued. I felt I was going to be important in an important project."
And so it has proved. Fabregas has featured in all but six of Chelsea’s 48 games in all competitions this season, and the influential 27-year-old has been at the heart of their Premier League title charge.
I spoke with Mourinho and he told me the things I needed to hear. I felt valued. I felt I was going to be important in an important project.
Cesc Fabregas
Despite a dip in form and niggling injuries after Christmas, he has gone on to make 16 assists in the Premier League this season – six more than his closest competitor, Manchester United’s record signing Angel Di Maria. In Europe’s top five leagues, only Wolfsburg’s Kevin de Bruyne (17) has more. Fabregas needs just five more in Chelsea’s remaining six games to beat Thierry Henry’s Premier League record for a single season.
Creative king
Misfiring strikers Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba took most of the blame for Chelsea falling short in last season’s title race as the Blues scored over 30 goals fewer than both Manchester City and Liverpool, but the bigger issue was a lack of creativity.
The stats show Chelsea created just 50 big chances in the whole of last season, only two more than relegated Fulham, but this season they are already up to 62 – more than any of their rivals.
Cesc Fabregas in action with Alexis Sanchez at Stamford Bridge
“To play with Fabregas is the dream of every striker,” said Jose Mourinho after a 4-2 win over Swansea in September. “The guy sees the movement, sees the pass, is not selfish, makes always the right choice.”
His impact is all the more impressive when compared to Chelsea’s top creator last season, Eden Hazard. Fabregas took a matter of weeks to match the Belgian’s tally of seven assists for the whole of the last campaign, and he is already ahead for big chances created and successful passes in the final third.
Cesc Fabregas has been Chelsea's chief creator this season
In short, Fabregas is at the heart of everything Chelsea do. He has increased their tempo and provided the perfect platform for Costa and Hazard, who have hit 19 and 13 league goals respectively.
He has also chipped in with five goals of his own in all competitions, including his well-taken late winner against QPR earlier this month.
Versatility
Fabregas has added different strands to his game since joining Chelsea. At Arsenal and Barcelona, he operated in teams who played possession-based football, whereas Mourinho is famously pragmatic in his approach.
Last weekend’s vital 1-0 win over Manchester United was a prime example, as Chelsea kept the visitors at arm’s length despite having just 30 per cent of the possession.
Cesc Fabregas tangles with Manchester United's Chris Smalling
This was not a natural environment for Fabregas, who had just 53 touches of the ball before his stoppage-time substitution, but he stuck to his task with a disciplined defensive performance to help Chelsea grind out the win and also played a key role in Hazard’s goal.
Do Arsenal miss him?
Wenger’s decision to snub Fabregas looked a poor one as his explosive start to life at Chelsea coincided with Arsenal’s poor first half of the season. His stunning long-range pass to set up Costa’s goal in the Blues’s 2-0 win over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge must have been particularly galling for the Frenchman.
“When he left we bought Mesut Ozil.” Wenger explained ahead of that game. “We have Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and we were not in the need to buy offensive players.”
Arsenal fans were unconvinced, despite the blockbuster addition of Alexis Sanchez, but the picture looks rather different ahead of Fabregas’s return to the Emirates this weekend.
Arsenal vs Chelsea
April 26, 2015, 3:30pm
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Arsenal have improved considerably since Cazorla moved into Fabregas’ favoured deep-lying playmaker role alongside Francis Coquelin – who has become Arsenal’s answer to Nemanja Matic. While Cazorla has not matched Fabregas in terms of assists and chances created, he has nonetheless been one of Arsenal’s top performers.
Santi Cazorla v Cesc Fabregas comparison - Premier League 2014/15
Return
Despite that, the sight of Fabregas celebrating the first Premier League title of his career with Chelsea would be a painful one for his former club. And while it cannot be mathematically secured on Sunday, Fabregas knows anything other than defeat would put Chelsea on the brink.
"We just want to win it. The sooner, the better,” he told Chelsea’s official website this week. "It's been five years for [Chelsea supporters] without winning the Premier League title; for me it's been 27 years so I'd love to win it as soon as possible."
While Wenger hopes Fabregas will be given a warm reception at the Emirates, his outstanding contribution to Chelsea’s likely title triumph makes that all the more unlikely.
What is certain, however, is that any boos will fall on deaf ears if Fabregas helps Chelsea to victory on his old stomping ground.
If he does, and the title follows, he might be thankful that Wenger closed the door on an Emirates return.
Watch Arsenal v Chelsea live on Sky Sports 1 HD this Sunday from 3.30pm
source; Dstv sports blitz news
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