Chelsea won 5 in a row with this player starting – but he may not feature against Arsenal

Part of Chelsea’s return to form since a dodgy September has been a stiffening of the back line, in large part down to the return of Wesley Fofana to fitness and the way that’s allowed Enzo Maresca to pick a more consistent back line.

Chelsea operate on a whole new level with Fofana in

Wesley Fofana celebrates at full time. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

It’s still never quite sure when he will play given the club want to treat him very delicately after years of problems, and having played 90 minutes on Tuesday night against Barcelona he may not be risked tomorrow.

But if he is, you can be sure he’s going to put in a top performance. His physicality and ability on the ball allow his team to play a whole different game, and there’s a reason he’s a true Enzo Maresca favourite.

Strong in the tackle, eager to jump out of the defensive line to cut out attacks, blessed with a good leap and a burst of speed; as well as his well know ability on the ball. The whole team look more confident when he’s in the back line.

In fact, a look at the stats from this season show just how effective he is – his latest run of games have seen him play against Barca (3-0 win), Wolves (3-0 win), Tottenham (1-0 win), Ajax (5-1 win) and Lincoln City (2-1 win).

We haven’t lost with him in the team since we played Manchester United at the end of September. Let’s hope, if he plays tomorrow, we can keep that record going.

In other news…

Chelsea take on Arsenal in the Premier League tomorrow, and they could be squaring up for a transfer battle soon too – the Blues want one of the Gunners’ best young players.

Cucurella’s role in the Chelsea squad has grown greater and greater, and he’s now apparently being asked about potential transfers the club could make by those upstairs.