On-loan Chelsea star, Saul Niguez, in action.
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has showered praise on Saul Niguez, after the midfielder put in an impressive display against Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
The Blues won the game 2-0 on the night, with Spurs looking toothless after being pegged back twice in the first half. Saul was a later addition to the Blues midfield after N’Golo Kante tested positive for Covid. It is fair to say that he stepped in and did a fine job indeed.
Tuchel called the loan signing’s performance ‘a huge step forward’ and was particularly effusive in his praise for the Spaniard. It is a refreshing change of pace for a player who has struggled to impress since moving to Chelsea.
“He has digested his experiences here in the beginning, when he maybe did not expect it to be like this. I’m very happy he had a performance like that, which was a huge step forward.”
Chelsea now head into the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final with a two-goal cushion. Tuchel will hope that Saul can turn up once again as continue this upturn in fortunes.
Saul has not had an easy time at Chelsea so far, struggling to get game-time and putting in sub-par performances whenever called upon. Tuchel believes that the 27-year-old has now settled into the pace of the English game.
Tuchel has now admitted that he has seen Saul start to improve day by day and has warmed to his responsibilities in the squad. Given the struggles Chelsea are facing in terms of players available, the Spaniard’s purple patch could not have been better timed.
“He’s more happy, more free in training; I see it every day. He played better when he came on against Wolverhampton. He’s stepping up and stepping up.”
Saul’s performance in the middle of the park was the real highlight of the game, with the Spanish midfielder struggling in England since coming on loan to the club from Atletico Madrid. Getting applauded by the Chelsea fans as he was coming off and also getting a pat on the back from Tuchel will hopefully motivate him to keep up this level and continue to put in shifts like this for us.
We have been over-reliant on Jorginho and Kante to turn up in midfield every game this season, and seeing Saul rise up to the occasion is encouraging news. Saul will now need to use the Spurs game as a stepping stone to work his way into Tuchel’s Premier League plans as well.
With Kante out with Covid, we could now see a lot more of Saul in the coming weeks. Jorginho has been playing almost every game for us, and Saul’s recent showings will provide comfort that he can step up when the Italian needs to be rested.
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