In his 250 appearances, he might have scored only 13 goals but Kante is not at Stamford Bridge to score goals.
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A mighty second half collapse saw Chelsea suffer a humiliating 4-1 defeat at home to Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday. The only silver lining from an otherwise forgettable outing was seeing their start holding midfielder N’Golo Kante reach his 250th appearance for the London club. However, it will not be an evening to remember for Kante nor Chelsea on Saturday. The Blues took the lead when Antonio Rudiger produced a scintillating 30-yard finish at the start of the second half. However, the goal did not settle down the nerves of the home side at Stamford Bridge, rather it provided the much-needed motivation for the away side to stage a stunning comeback.
Immediately after Chelsea scored, Vitaly Janelt netted the equaliser before Bryan Mbeumo assisted Christian Eriksen to score in front of the loud visiting support. Rather than sitting back and seeing out the lead, the bottom half side smelled blood and went for more and their reward was two more well-taken goals. Janelt scored again past Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy at the hour mark before substitute Yoane Wissa put the icing on the cake. With 33 points in their kitty, Brentford can start thinking about Premier League football but Chelsea, who are third with 59 points, might have to worryingly look back on their shoulders as the race for top four places is heating up.
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There were two memorable occasions to notice from the match. First was the glorious moment when Christian Eriksen scored for the visitors. It was his first goal for Brentford but that was not the main reason fans got excited about the moment. Last summer, the Denmark midfielder collapsed during their opening Euro 2020 match against Finland as he went to take a throw-in. After suffering a cardiac arrest during the first half of Denmark’s 1-0 Group B loss to Finland, the playmaker had to be resuscitated on the pitch at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.
Back then it was not clear whether Eriksen will ever kick a football again, hence seeing him playing at the top level and scoring the goal that gave Brentford the lead at Stamford Bridge was a moment to savor. Nonetheless, he was not the only one who had an evening to remember. French national N’Golo Kante made his milestone 250th appearance for the Blues.
The match might not have been one to remember for the energetic all-action midfielder but the devastating defeat cannot take away Kante’s moment and what it means for both the player and the club.
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When N’Golo Kante was signed by Chelsea he was already a Premier League winner with Leicester City. The Frenchman was everything the Blues needed. He turned out to be the modern-day Claude Makelele. A former Chelsea player, Makelele was one of the best midfielders Stamford Bridge has ever had. He was an all-action midfielder for the Blues, making life really difficult for the opponents.
Kante is of a similar mold. The Frenchman came to Stamford Bridge with a huge reputation. He was one of the key members in helping Leicester win an unlikely Premier League title in the 2015-16 season. Kante lived up to the expectations as he eased into the first team with little trouble. He was the lively presence Chelsea needed in the middle of the park, constantly closing down the opponents and winning the ball back for his team.
Kante helped Chelsea win the Premier League title in his very first season with the Blues with Antonio Conte as their manager. Since then, the Frenchman has continued to be an important part of the Blues’ midfield. He has also won other titles with Chelsea, including the Champions League crown last season.
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In his 250 appearances, he might have scored only 13 goals but Kante is not at Stamford Bridge to score goals. The Frenchman has a job in the middle of the park, which hardly many can do in world football. The work rate Kante produces every match is difficult for anyone to match.
Ahead of the match against Brentford, manager Thomas Tuchel was asked if he can describe what Kante brings to Chelsea and he replied, “No, absolutely not.”
“It’s 250 times, pure joy to watch him. Pure joy and luck to be his coach. He’s a fantastic guy, fantastic player. So unique. I do not know nobody who does not love him.”
Tuchel is right. Kante is a manager’s dream. Opposition teams hate to play against Kante but his own players will always cherish him. He is one of the few yet true team players still left in the footballing world.
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