Surprisingly Chelsea have put themselves into title contention this year after a fairly tumultuous summer which saw them replace their manager, lose one of their best players and also had their owner barred from entering the country.
Liverpool, on the other hand, had a superb summer and despite getting all of their transfer targets are still playing catch up to City and are only two points off Chelsea.
In a league predicated on attack, it’s essential to have a solid defender and in Cezar Azpilicueta, Chelsea have one of the best while Liverpool’s self-proclaimed world-class defender, Dejan Lovren is anything but.
Deja Lovren
Signed from Southampton for a reported £20 million fee Lovren became the third player to join Liverpool from the south coast club that summer.
The Croatia international had a superb season in his last year at the club and had been at times hailed as one of the better defenders in the league but as soon as he arrived on Merseyside, it became quite clear that he wasn’t going to replicate that form with Liverpool.
At times Lovren put together a stretch of good games and when Virgil Van Dijk arrived last January he did improve, overall the defender has shown that he’s not cut out for top-level football and isn’t a reliable performer for a side trying to contend for trophies.
He’s a constant liability and looks as though he could cost his team in goal. He’s only made three appearances in the league this season and it’s unlikely he’ll be shifting Joe Gomez for the starting XI anytime soon.
TT Grade: B-
Cesar Azpilicueta
Reliable, underrated and one of the best defenders in the league. Since Cesar Azpilicueta arrived from Marseille for the minuscule fee of £6.5 million after three seasons with Marseille.
In his first season with the club, he played 27 games in the league and became an instant hit with the fans. Since then, he’s been an ever-present in the side and has been a reliable force in the side amid all the constant managerial changes.
He often goes under the radar as his offensive game isn’t prolific but in defence, he is one of the best in the league and will go down as one of the best defenders to play in the Premier League.
Now the club captain and remaining a key cog in Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea side, the small £6.5 million fee that Chelsea paid looks like an absolute steal now.
TT Grade: A
The Verdict
While Lovren has shown flashes of a good defender, overall he’s been poor for Liverpool since he joined the club. In Azpilicueta, however, Chelsea have one of the best defenders in the league and one of the most underrated.
He’s always reliable and never really makes a mistake. Chelsea have pulled off a great piece of business with the Spaniard.
