Henderson's rising influence
Jordan Henderson joined Chelsea on a free transfer from Brentford in the summer. At 36 years and four months old, he is currently the oldest player in the Premier League. His arrival was not heralded as a masterstroke at the time, but he is quickly making himself indispensable to manager Xabi Alonso. With club captain Reece James sidelined for around three months due to a knee injury, Henderson's experience in midfield has proved vital for the squad.
During a recent 2-0 victory against Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Henderson put in a stellar shift alongside Moisés Caicedo in central midfield. He made the most passes in the final third with 20, recorded the most touches with 73, and completed the most accurate passes with 58. His leadership and steel helped Chelsea secure their first clean sheet in the Premier League in 23 games.
Goals and early strikes
Pedro Neto scored both goals in the win over Everton, putting the visitors ahead just 45 seconds into the second half after good work from Morgan Rogers. Neto later sealed the result in stoppage time by slotting home after a free-kick from Henderson deflected inside the penalty area. Alonso praised Henderson after the midfielder netted his first goals for the club in a 5-1 victory over AFC Bournemouth last weekend.
Alonso's side have shown a strong tendency to start halves quickly this season. They have scored a league-high six goals in the opening seven minutes of first halves, alongside three goals inside the first four minutes of second halves. They have also scored first in six Premier League matches so far.
Injury concerns and clean sheets
Despite the positive result, Chelsea suffered a major blow when goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez was stretchered off in the second half following a collision with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite. Alonso confirmed Martínez was conscious when he left the stadium and was being assessed in hospital. Mike Penders came on to make his Premier League debut on Merseyside and could be called into action in the coming weeks.
Alonso was particularly pleased with how his side managed difficult moments and kept a clean sheet against a previously unbeaten Everton side. He noted that his team stayed solid, strong, and in control. After years of chaos, Chelsea are starting to look like a mature unit with the help of their veteran midfielder.
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