Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo impressed after replacing Axel Disasi in the second half against Bournemouth last Saturday.
The 26-year-old, who was a free transfer signing from Fulham, hasn’t had a lot of game time this season, getting his first minutes in the Premier League at the weekend. Considering the Blues have not exactly been that watertight at the back, a lot of supporters on X are calling on head coach Enzo Maresca to start Adarabioyo against West Ham:
He came on and we played better š„°
ā moises caicedo (@SydneyUgochukw2) September 17, 2024
Yes! He gave us stability at the back last weekend
ā Rilex šø (@Rilex_xclusive) September 17, 2024
In the last game he was calm and composed. That’s what we want
ā cfc joseh (@cfcjoseh) September 17, 2024
Yes ..he has been incredible
ā A.I.Gš¤ (@Aig_space) September 17, 2024
The best CB
ā Frey (@CFCFrey) September 17, 2024
we looked way more composed with him & Colwill
ā Andrew Hart (@AHart1974) September 17, 2024
He is very calm on the ball.
ā Ghana Chelsea FC Fans(Official fan base) (@ghanachelsea) September 17, 2024
He was so solid against Bournemouth. He was among the subs that changed the game. What a player š«”š
ā Jam Mee (@mee_CFC) September 17, 2024
Adarabioyo has handed Maresca a selection dilemma
Some have suggested that Tosin could come in for Disasi from the start against the Hammers, with Wesley Fofana moving to right-back. However, with Malo Gusto now back in training, the 21-year-old is the likeliest to start in that position at the London Stadium.
It could, therefore, be a straight fight between Adarabioyo and Fofana to play alongside Levi Colwill in the middle of defence.
Considering Fofana’s less-than-impressive performances in recent games, there is a good case for starting Adarabioyo.
Chelsea need to build on their victory against Bournemouth
Maresca described the Blues as a “work in progress” following their 1-0 win over the Cherries last week so fans will need to accept that there will be inconsistent performances from the team.
However, they do have the perfect opportunity to win two in a row against West Ham on Saturday. The Hammers are experiencing their own teething problems under new manager Julen Lopetegui. They have already lost two home matches so they could be there for the taking.
Find out who is in Chelsea’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
