England lost to Greece for the first time in their history last night, losing 2-1 at Wembley Stadium. Before that, the hosts had played their opponents nine times, won seven and drawn twice, but they have now got a loss chalked on that record.
Three Chelsea boys played for the Three Lions on Thursday evening, Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill starting the game, and Noni Madueke coming from the bench to replace Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka in the 51st minute of the game.
Palmer played well, playing in a slightly deeper midfield role for the majority of the game, completing two key passes, completing 4/5 long balls, completing 1/2 dribbles, and winning 4/7 ground duels. Madueke had two shots in his 39 minutes, won 1/3 ground duels, made one tackle, and completed 92% of his passes.
But it was Colwill who impressed most for England, despite conceding two goals, he was one of the highest rated players on the pitch, getting a 7/10 match rating from The Independent, the highest rating of any England player, being labeled “magnificent” for his goal line clearance early in the game.
Chelsea star's performance vs Greece
Colwill put in a brilliant, 104-touch display for England against Greece, making six clearances, one block, one interception, two tackles, as well as completing 6/8 long balls, winning 4/5 aerial duels, and 2/6 ground duels.
The 21-year-old is largely praised for his superb passing ability, often breaking the lines with his progressive passes, but against Greece, Colwill had to show a lot of defensive steel, winning many of his aerial duels (4/5), and cleaning up when balls did go in behind the England backline.
That ability to smell the danger was best showcased in the example below, with the Cobham graduate bailing his teammate Jordan Pickford out of trouble with that vital intervention in the first-half.
This was the Chelsea defender’s third England cap, and he will be hoping he has done enough to impress, and solidify his spot in the squad, no matter what happens with the managerial decision going forwards.
Colwill Chelsea form
Fabrizio Romano has claimed Colwill is “the future of Chelsea”, stating he is going nowhere and is a “crucial” part of their project going forwards. The defender has risen through the academy ranks, playing 18 times for the U18s, playing 26 times for the U21, and now playing 39 times for the Chelsea first team.
The former Brighton loanee has started the season strong under new manager, Enzo Maresca, starting all seven Premier League games so far, and playing 630 minutes of football. His passing ability is highly valued, and many regard him as a leader in the making for this Chelsea side.
Stats (per 90 mins)
Colwill
Fofana
Progressive Carries
0.43
1.06
Progressive Passes
4.00
2.12
Passes Attempted
69.9
64.5
Pass Completion %
90.8%
89.0%
Passes into Final Third
4.14
3.94
Tackles
0.57
1.06
Blocks
1.57
1.21
Interceptions
1.40
1.36
Aerials Won
1.57
1.67
An amazing partnership is blossoming between Colwill and Wesley Fofana, with a brilliant balance of attributes, as shown from the metrics above. Colwill provides elite passing quality, being the primary ball playing defender, and cutting things out with his high levels of IQ, making blocks and interceptions.
Whilst Fofana, offers a more aggressive style, looking to use his pace and power to win tackles, win duels (ground and aerial), and carry the ball out of defence when the chance arises. If Chelsea can keep them both fit, they have the chance to establish themselves as one of the best duos in the league come the end of the season and beyond.
As for Colwill’s hopes of nailing down a regular role at international level, he did himself no harm at Wembley, that’s for sure.
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