I watched one of the ‘worst’ Chelsea players become integral to Maresca’s side in as little as three games

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Chelsea’s start to the season has been mixed in terms of results and performances, but one player has surprisingly become an important feature.

Injuries have been a big problem for Enzo Maresca this season. Cole Palmer has a groin issue, and Liam Delap has been unavailable for the start of the campaign.

It has stretched the squad massively, and the biggest area of concern has been defensively, where the Chelsea team has been decimated.

Levi Colwill was ruled out for the season during the summer, and things have only gotten worse since then. However, an unexpected squad member has now proven that they can plug the gap.

Benoit Badiashile has played his way into the Chelsea team

Benoit Badiashile is one player that Chelsea have been without for the majority of the season due to a muscle problem.

After missing the season’s first seven games, the Frenchman was immediately thrown into the team for Chelsea’s defeat against Brighton.

He followed that up with starts against Benfica, where Chelsea got a clean sheet, and against Liverpool, where they were defensively solid again.

Even though Arne Slot’s men did find the back of the net, Chelsea kept Liverpool’s attackers quiet for the most part. Badiashile, in particular, had a commanding performance.

The 24-year-old has proven that he’s not only ready but also more than capable of stepping in and performing regularly for Chelsea if Maresca decides to use him.

Given the injuries that still exist to the likes of Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo, Badiashile is someone who Maresca should now start considering.

He’s dominant in the air and strong in the tackle, and if he can maintain his fitness, he might be a crucial part of the Chelsea squad this season.

Benoit Badiashile was heavily criticised in the past for his Chelsea performances

Badiashile’s impressive start to the season has caught many fans by surprise, as he has often been criticised for his performances.

Chelsea signed Badiashile for £32.7million in 2023, but his inconsistent performances have since prevented him from truly cementing himself as a first-choice centre back.

Back in 2024, Badiashile was torn apart by Gabriel Agbonlahor on talkSPORT for his performance against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, and that experience stuck with him for a while.

“Badiashile, the centre half, gave probably the worst centre-half performance I’ve seen in the Premier League in the last two seasons. He was dreadful.”

Fans have also criticised him throughout his time at Stamford Bridge, but his performances this season have made it clear that he has something to offer, and Maresca needs to exploit it.