Chelsea Writer Compares Caicedo to ‘Makelele in his Pomp’

Chelsea fan writer Ross Mooring shared his perspectives in response to questions from Arsenal contributor Oli Price-Bates. The initial question posed was: “Excluding Cole Palmer, who do you see as your biggest attacking threat in this game?” Mooring stated that while it might seem counter-intuitive to identify a deeper-lying central midfielder as the second most significant attacking threat after Palmer, Moises Caicedo currently poses a continuous danger both with and without the ball. Caicedo is effective at disrupting play and initiating Chelsea’s offensive moves with precise passing. His style of play is described as “somewhat reminiscent of Claude Makelele in his pomp.” Mooring further noted that, unlike Makelele, Caicedo is also capable of setting up strikers, as he did for Nicolas Jackson in the victory against West Ham, and can connect effectively with long-range shots when opportunities arise. Given Jackson’s current good form, he is anticipated to capitalize on these situations. When asked, “Which Arsenal player are you most worried about facing?”, Mooring expressed consistent apprehension regarding Martin Odegaard’s ability to dictate play, assuming he is fit enough to start. He acknowledged that Odegaard might directly confront Caicedo, one of Chelsea’s top performers this season, and observed that the Arsenal team appears to enjoy playing at Stamford Bridge, with Odegaard frequently central to their performance there. If the Norway playmaker is only available from the bench or does not participate at all, Mooring identified Bukayo Saka as a definite concern, stating that Saka’s qualities are widely recognized, particularly given Chelsea’s defensive struggles. Addressing the question of what weaknesses Arsenal could exploit in the Chelsea team, Mooring highlighted the Blues’ consistent inability to prevent opponents from scoring, noting “no clean sheets in the league since September.” He commented that while Robert Sanchez is a competent shot-stopper, the Spanish player “lacks conviction with the ball at his feet and is prone to errors of judgement.” However, Mooring identified a more significant issue: when Chelsea loses possession in the attacking third, Enzo Maresca’s inverted full-back, typically on the left side, is often caught out of position, leaving too much ground to cover to effectively close down the opposing winger. Mooring concluded by stating, “As this is Bukayo Saka on Sunday, colour me concerned.”