‘Statistics does not matter’: Moises Caicedo’s influence at Chelsea revealed

Former Chelsea manager Graham Potter has provided a glowing appraisal of Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo, noting that statistics might not prove his qualities.

Chelsea are currently going through a great run under Enzo Maressca and the influence of Caicedo, a £115m signing from Brighton can not be overlooked.

Caicedo initially struggled to adapt to life in London but the 22-year-old has settled and improved as the season progressed and has emerged as a commanding presence at the base of midfield for incoming boss, Enzo Maresca.

Potter handed Caicedo his Premier League debut towards the end of the 2021/22 season when he was the Brighton manager. However, Caicedo only ended up making 16 appearances under the English coach, who eventually joined Chelsea in September 2022.

Caicedo moved to Chelsea in the summer of 2023 but Potter had already been sacked after a run of poor performance. Despite this, Potter is quick to laud his former player.

Graham Potter (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

“When people talk about team players, well, that’s Moises,” Potter wrote in a column for the BBC during October’s international break. “He just wants to do the best he can for his team. Of course he is a better player when the team is functioning well, but he will make everyone else better too.

“He is not the guy who is going to dribble past ten players, or try something flash,” Potter continued. “He is physical, he wins the ball for you and he keeps things simple when he has got it, although he has got quality too.”

Potter explained that Caicedo’s new, defensive-minded role “provides Chelsea with the balance which allows that front five to attack”.

The former Seagulls coach added: “Moises’ positional sense will get better and better, the more he plays in that role, but he is already very good at recovering those big spaces and winning the ball back. Along with everything else, that makes him the perfect fit for the way they want to play.”

In a world where data can be morphed to fit any opinion, Potter warned: “The impact he has in the team goes beyond most of the stats that are shown for midfielders, because they don’t wholly reflect his role and influence on the team.

“You can use those binary measurements, like tackles made, distance run or sprints and it tells you one thing about him – but not everything.” Those figures are pretty flattering for the Ecuador international. No Premier League player has made more combined tackles and interceptions this season than Caicedo, per FBref. The statistical research group at CIES also dubbed him the best young midfielder in the world.

Off the pitch, Potter hailed Caicedo’s “world class” character. “Moises is a mix of someone who wants to learn and improve, but is also highly intelligent anyway,” the 49-year-old explained. “The way he approaches things is the perfect combination for a manager or coach to work with, and because of that I always thought his future was extremely bright.”