Action from the match between Chelsea and Manchester City has been looping on social media since Thursday evening. We play the 88th minute when in the middle of the field, Denis Zakaria, a big boy of 1m90, Chelsea shirt on his shoulders, shows all his technique against İlkay Gündoğan and Kevin De Bruyne. If the Blues lost at Stamford Bridge (0-1), the 26-year-old Swiss international has made friends with English football observers. A depressing 10th in the Premier League, Chelsea have not become the alluring Brighton under Graham Potter. So, small consolation, of course, the return of Denis Zakaria, to the level he was at Monchengladbach is a cause for joy for Blues fans.
Borrowed for €3m from Juventus, with a purchase option of around €28m, the Swiss international (45 caps, 3 goals) took some time to appear in the eyes of the world. It must be said that his presence in front of the defence, alongside Mateo Kovačić, is also and above all due to the injuries of a large part of the London squad. N’Golo Kante, Reece James, Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, among others. Choice of Thomas Tuchel, sent off shortly after the end of the market, Denis Zakaria didn’t really have the confidence of the new arrival on the bench. But no choice, in the face of this carnage. Last night Zakaria played his fifth game with the Blues. Third in line. And he didn’t disappoint Graham Potter.
“The Octopus” reveals his technique to the eyes of the world
Nicknamed The octopus (the octopus), Denis Zakaria knew how to unfold his tentacles. An inveterate man, always with his mouth open, a sign of a constant effort, he recovered 6 balls against the Citizens. If he has to drag his imposing physique like a weight, his feet work wonders. A technique that allowed him to create differences against Pep Guardiola’s players. To win in midfield after just three games (excluding two appearances at the beginning of November), it had to be done. Especially since it cannot be said that the truce benefited the native of Geneva. The World Cup, Denis Zakaria played well in Qatar. But it is on the bench that Murat Yakın, the Swiss coach, has preferred him.
After making two brief appearances in his final group match for the Swiss and in the round of 16 against Portugal at the World Cup, the defensive midfielder returned to London with a knife between his teeth. And from December 27, Graham Potter sent him to coal. Zakaria showed up at his first in the Premier League, against Bournemouth (Chelsea’s 2-0 victory). Clean in the interventions, he makes little or no mistakes. He is skilled with the ball, he is precise in passing and dares under pressure. His presence makes Jorginho better. And his will to keep going, always, has delighted the hearts of fans, who wonder why Graham Potter has felt so much time to let him play.
Graham Potter may change his mind
If the performance interviewed in the following match, on the Nottingham Forest lawn (1-1), was, at team level, much less convincing, Denis Zakaria, last night, against a candidate for the title, showed he has resources. In any case, his coach appreciated what he saw. “I thought he was really good. In defense he covered a lot of ground, won the ball, gave his all in duels, was brave with the ball and found solutions. He was a positive element of the evening.said a despondent Potter. To convince the Blues to sign him permanently, the player who has passed through Servette and Young Boys would do well to publish a new masterclass this Sunday against Manchester City, in the final of the 32nd FA Cup.
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