Cesc Fabregas has been a key figure for Chelsea this season, but he endured a rare off day on the passing front during the defeat to Newcastle United.
After much heated debate, we now know that no side will be repeating the heroics of the Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ in 2014/15.
Chelsea, having opened with an unblemished 14-match run, lost the only remaining unbeaten record in the Premier League at Newcastle United on Saturday.
A 2-1 reversal at St James’ Park came as a surprise to many, but Jose Mourinho will look to put it down as a bad day at the office.
There have not been too many occasions this season where Diego Costa has drawn blank, and days where Cesc Fabregas struggles to get going have been even rarer.
The World Cup-winning midfielder saw his passing radar become slightly skewed on Tyneside, though, as he gave the ball away on more occasions than he has in any other Premier League game this season.
He cannot shoulder the blame for a disappointing setback, as he still posted impressive numbers when it comes to getting in possession and trying to make things happen, but there is no denying that the Blues are not quite the same proposition when their Spanish schemer sees his standards dip.
| Match | Poss Lost All | Dispossessed | Unsuccessful Touch | Total Pass | Accurate Pass | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cesc Fàbregas | Newcastle vs Chelsea | 34 | 2 | 2 | 105 | 81 | 90 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Chelsea vs QPR | 25 | 3 | 0 | 96 | 83 | 90 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Chelsea vs West Brom | 24 | 1 | 0 | 153 | 144 | 90 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Chelsea vs Aston Villa | 21 | 1 | 1 | 144 | 133 | 90 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Sunderland vs Chelsea | 21 | 1 | 2 | 112 | 98 | 90 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Chelsea vs Arsenal | 17 | 2 | 0 | 70 | 62 | 90 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | C. Palace vs Chelsea | 17 | 1 | 3 | 123 | 110 | 90 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Burnley vs Chelsea | 15 | 0 | 0 | 89 | 78 | 90 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Liverpool vs Chelsea | 15 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 36 | 90 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Everton vs Chelsea | 14 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 31 | 89 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Man Utd vs Chelsea | 14 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 36 | 90 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Chelsea vs Tottenham | 13 | 3 | 0 | 55 | 48 | 76 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Man City vs Chelsea | 13 | 0 | 1 | 66 | 57 | 90 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Chelsea vs Leicester | 13 | 2 | 0 | 81 | 76 | 90 |
| Cesc Fàbregas | Chelsea vs Swansea | 8 | 1 | 1 | 83 | 78 | 82 |
Credit must be given to Newcastle for unsettling Chelsea and forcing mistakes from their key men.
Fabregas is at his most destructive best when given time in which to get his head up and pick a pass. If he is not afforded such a luxury, then his match-winning powers are limited.
Mourinho will be pleased to see that his key creative cog was still able to break into triple figures in terms of passes attempted – only the fifth time that has happened this season – and will know that if the Blues can reproduce that on a regular basis then they will prove too strong for many.
He will, however, be surprised to see that Fabregas failed to find a teammate on 24 occasions – easily his worst showing of the campaign – and squandered possession 34 times in total.
Everyone is entitled to an off day, though, and it is safe to assume that Hull City will not be relishing the prospect of a trip to Stamford Bridge next Saturday and facing a potential backlash from the Blues.
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