Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta has been hailed by Sky Sports Pundit Jamie Carragher as the best defender in the League
Since moving to Chelsea in the summer of 2012 from French side Olympique Marseille, Cesar Azpilicueta has been a constant in Chelsea’s starting XI.
Last season, he was one of the few players in the Chelsea dressing room who still had the backing of the fans after a decent individual season, whilst nearly everything and everyone around him was falling apart. He is now back to his best under Antonio Conte and hasn’t missed a single game for them under the Italian.
Liverpool legend and current football pundit Jamie Carragher has hailed the Spaniard as ‘the best defender in the league’. The 27-year-old put in another impressive shift as Antonio Conte’s right center-back against Crystal Palace, helping his side keep a clean sheet and even provided Diego Costa with a wonderful assist for his 42nd minute winner.
According to Standard Sport, Carragher was full of praise for the Spanish international, saying that he was the only fullback he’d want in his team.
“Azpilicueta is the best defender in the league,” he said.
“You can talk about full-backs now being wingers. If there was any full-back who I’d want on my team it’d be Azpilicueta, straight in. You know what you’re getting week in, week out.”
If Chelsea have the best defence in the league, Cesar Azpilicueta is their best defender, at least according to the the statistics by SQUAWKA. In 17 games this term, the Spaniard has the most clearances, interceptions and tackles than any Chelsea defender this term.
Azpilicueta has thrived as a part of Antonio Conte’s 3-man-defence, and alongside David Luiz and Gary Cahill, he is a part of the best defence in the English top flight. Since that humiliating 3-0 loss to Arsenal nearly 3 months ago, the Blues have gone on an unprecedented 11 game win streak in the Premier League, a club record
In those 11 games, Chelsea have scored 25 goals, but Azpilicueta & co have conceded 2 goals. One of them was an own goal by Gary Cahill against Manchester City and the other was by Tottenham Hotspur’s Christian Eriksen.
The Spaniard has started all of the Blues’ Premier League games this term and will be an integral part of their title charge going forward. With his resolute defending, unwavering performances and leadership abilities, he has established himself as one Chelsea’s most important players this term, right alongside Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and N’Golo Kante, which in itself is no minor feat.