Chelsea’s Reece James put in a captain’s performance during the 1-1 draw against Liverpool on Sunday evening.
The 23-year-old marauded up and down the right flank, causing no end of trouble with his runs and wicked deliveries into the opposition box. Supporters on X were quick to praise James after catching the eye with his top-drawer display at Stamford Bridge:
Rolls Royce
— Ïb Rä Hëëm (@IbnLMubarak) August 14, 2023
Getting back to his best
— Vicky too much Talkative 🤬 💙 (@VickyShegzy) August 13, 2023
Captain fantastic 👏🩵
— AK🕴 (@andykobbs___) August 13, 2023
Superb
— MΔΠΠi JøΠ (@ManniJon) August 14, 2023
Game 🔥
— Mr. CeeKay (@chykaralybar) August 14, 2023
Born a baller ❤️
— bolu (@tife_world) August 14, 2023
The best RB in the world
— Agent (@RJOnTheBall_CFC) August 13, 2023
James’ importance to Chelsea is not in question
The Blues are a much more effective team going forward when the England international is out on the pitch.
Despite ostensibly being a right-back, James is extremely influential in the final third of the pitch, setting up chances for others with nine crosses and two key passes at the weekend.
He is no slouch defensively either, keeping both Luis Diaz and Andy Robertson honest for the 75 minutes he was on the pitch.
Pochettino has eased fears about James’ Fitness
There was some concern when James was substituted with 15 minutes left against Liverpool. However, manager Mauricio Pochettino has played down any injury worries, stating that the player was taken off due to fatigue:
“He was tired. You need to see from where he came. The first thing we did when we arrived was to assess and analyse all of the players from the past. He was injured for three or four months. This pre-season was tough for him, we didn’t want to take any risk and that is why at 80 minutes, we wanted to avoid the risk.”
Fans will be delighted to hear that James should be available for Chelsea’s next game against West Ham this weekend.
