Chilwell revelling in new role as he aims to seal England spot
► Licence to roam forward has rejuvenated Chelsea left-back ► Tuchel wants emotional fight on display against Porto
Having produced such an accomplished finish in the first leg of Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-final against Porto last week, Ben Chilwell might have fancied himself as a goalscorer these days.
Unfortunately for him, the rest of the Chelsea squad are not quite so accepting of the left-back’s newfound sense of adventure, after he charged through the Porto defence and rounded the goalkeeper like a seasoned forward. When Chilwell cut inside against Crystal Palace last weekend, looking for his second goal in two games, he slashed his shot wide instead of passing to Mason Mount or Callum Hudsonodoi.
“I got a bit of stick for that,” admitted Chilwell, although the nature of Chelsea’s emphatic win at Selhurst Park ensured it was all good natured. “I think getting in those positions, it is important to start taking a few more shots. A few more goals would be nice.”
By the end of tonight’s second leg against Porto, Chilwell’s unlikely intervention last week might well turn out to be crucial for Thomas Tuchel’s side. The second of two away goals, it provided Chelsea with a cushion that could be needed against a dangerous Porto team, who beat Juventus in the previous round.
For Chilwell, these are the sort of high-stakes, high-class matches he must have been hoping to experience when he swapped Leicester for London last summer. It has not all gone to plan since his £45million move, especially since Frank Lampard’s sacking, but the signs are that he is rediscovering his best form.
Chilwell started only two of the first eight matches under Tuchel, who seemed to be more comfortable with Marcos Alonso as the left wingback. “I did not play the first three or four games, which could have got me down,” Chilwell said. “But I used it as an opportunity to work harder, to ask him [Tuchel] questions in training to see where he thinks I could improve my game.”
In Chilwell’s own words, the wing-back role is a little unfamiliar. Alonso is more experienced in that position, and offers more power in the air. Chilwell is evidently not a player to shirk a challenge, though, and he feels like he has made significant progress already. Tuchel clearly agrees – he has started the Englishman in three of the past four matches.
“I would say I am a different player,” Chilwell said. “Playing wing-back is something that I was not used to before. I am really trying to improve my game in that sense.”
In the long term, for club and country, Chilwell will no doubt benefit from being more versatile. His developing understanding of a new position will certainly not have been missed by England manager Gareth Southgate, who likes to switch around his formations, and it could give Chilwell the edge in his battle against Luke Shaw for a starting role at this summer’s European Championship.
Chilwell started two of England’s recent internationals, the friendly against San Marino and the qualifying win over Poland, while Shaw started the other, away to Albania. Their contest could be one of the most intriguing plot lines ahead of England’s opening game this sumready
‘I would say I am a different player. I am really trying to improve my game’
mer. For now, Chilwell’s focus remains on Porto. Chelsea’s 2-0 lead means there is some margin for error, but not much.
“We will not change our approach because of a result we had last week,” said Tuchel, the Chelsea head coach. “We are what we are. We have a certain way of playing.”
Chelsea demonstrated that playing style in the first leg, when Mason Mount joined Chilwell on the scoresheet. For this second match, they might be required to show some fight too.
Tuchel spoke of having plenty of “emotional leaders” in his team, including Cesar Azpilicueta, Mateo Kovacic and of course Antonio Rudiger, the German defender who recently had a training-ground clash with Kepa Arrizabalaga.
“Honestly you don’t want to be in a fight with Toni Rudiger, with Azpi and Kova,” Tuchel said. “They are all emotional guys and they are always to fight. It’s in their nature to show it on the pitch and to protect the interests of our team. I am sure our guys are very comfortable when they look around and see who they can rely on.”
The suspicion is that Tuchel does not see Chilwell, 24, as one of these more reliable options. Not yet, anyway. That moment could arrive sooner rather than later, though, if he continues to shine in Europe’s most glamorous competition.