RUBEN HITTING LOFTY HEIGHTS
AT oNE point during a break in play early in the first half, Ruben Loftus-Cheek stood towering over a sprawled-out Frank onyeka. The pair had come together innocuously and the Brentford man came off second best, left on the ground holding his face, requiring treatment and prompting Loftus-Cheek to return to the scene just to double check on onyeka’s welfare.
It was a fitting image. Loftus-Cheek was head and shoulders above all comers in the midfield battle at Brentford and Chelsea’s standout player until Edouard Mendy’s late heroics ensured they escaped their west London rivals victorious thanks to Ben Chilwell’s first-half volley.
Loftus-Cheek produced another display which suggested the extra fitness work he has been doing to stay trim, fit, strong and get back in the Chelsea side is paying off.
onyeka, who was eventually fine to continue, albeit with a bandaged head in the second half, will testify to that. Saturday marked the first time since April 2019 that Loftus-Cheek has started successive Premier League games for Chelsea.
It is not just the performances but also the range of qualities he possesses that mean hopes will quickly rise again when it comes to the 25-year-old.
with all his gifts combined, the Chelsea academy product is a rare midfield talent. Loftus-Cheek is blessed with technical ability, an effortless first touch and quick close control.
when added to his balance, ability to dribble and carry the ball long distances, it is common to see him comfortably escape the tightest spaces and drive forward out of midfield.
He can pick a pass, is not afraid to stick his foot in and has the size and stature that can make him unstoppable once he gets going. Yet he also does everything with elegance, composure and confidence.
Injury and misfortune have cruelly hampered the momentum of a player who was earmarked for great things from his early teens and made his Chelsea debut at just 18. So, too, has the manner in which he has been deployed at times.
Loftus-Cheek was used as an advanced attacking midfielder, a winger and even a striker during his loan at Fulham last season. They are all roles that fail to maximise his ability.
But manager Thomas Tuchel (right) wants him at the heart of things, playing as a central midfielder — as he did during his best Chelsea spell to date under Maurizio Sarri. when supported by a pair in the engine room, as he was at Brentford, he has even more freedom to roam and shine. It has been a long way back for Loftus-Cheek since the serious 2019 achilles injury that halted his progress following a successful loan spell at Crystal Palace and a place in England’s 2018 world Cup squad. But he has never given up. with many of his team-mates returning late due to the Euros, Loftus-Cheek saw pre-season as a fresh chance to stake his claim. That mission has been accomplished and the signs for Loftus-Cheek are encouraging once again. BRENTFORD (3-5-2): Raya 8; Jorgensen 7, Jansson 8, Pinnock 7.5; Canos 6.5 (Ghoddos 72min, 7), Jensen 7, Norgaard 7.5, Onyeka 6.5 (Forss 67, 7.5), Henry 7; Toney 7, Mbuemo 7. Booked: Canos. Manager: Thomas Frank 8. CHELSEA (3-5-2): MENDY 9; Chalobah 8, Christensen 8, Sarr 8.5; Azpilicueta 7.5 (James 89), Kante 7, Kovacic 6.5 (Mount 65, 6), Loftus-Cheek 8.5, Chilwell 7.5; Lukaku 6.5 (Havertz 77), Werner 6.5. Booked: Kovacic. Scorer: Chilwell 45. Manager: Thomas Tuchel 7.5. Referee: Anthony Taylor 7. Attendance: 16,940.