I was scrolling down my Twitter timeline the other day when a video caught my eye. It was one of those player compilations, a two-minute highlight reel. Given the subject of the video, I was inevitably drawn in. And as one standout moment followed another, it dawned on me just how big a loss Chelsea have suffered this season.
The player in question was N'Golo Kante and the video focused on Chelsea's run to the 2021 Champions League. Clips were taken from wins over Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Manchester City, matches in which Kante produced arguably his most influential performances in blue.
I don't think it's an exaggeration to claim Chelsea would not have won the Champions League that season without Kante in their midfield. He was as important – admittedly in a very different way – as Lionel Messi in Barcelona's European triumphs, as Cristiano Ronaldo in Real Madrid's great successes.
