Chelsea had two of their defenders put in outstanding performances at the weekend. However, one was from a player on a temporary stay away from the club.
A day following Trevoh Chalobah's impressive showing of versatility that drew praise from Frank Lampard, Levi Colwill sent a firm reminder that he can compete with the very best as he played his part in shutting down Arsenal for Brighton. Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi was effusive in his acknowledgement of Colwill's performance and his impact on the Gunners' key man Martin Odegaard.
The Brighton boss said: "The best example of courage was Colwill in this game because we defended man to man and the man for Colwill was Odegaard and Colwill defended for 90 minutes against Odegaard. He went 80 metres, 90 metres away from (goalkeeper) Jason Steele - this is the courage."
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It was a slow start to life at Brighton for Colwill and his season has been disrupted by injury but the comprehensive win at the Emirates Stadium provided the perfect platform to help the young defender's reputation rise once again. The 20-year-old was never dribbled past, showed an impressive array of passing into the attacking third and sent a big reminder that Chelsea have a real asset away from the club.
This summer, Chelsea will find themselves with a decision to make on Colwill once again. Under Thomas Tuchel, the former Huddersfield loanee made the first team group that travelled to the USA, though injury meant his involvement wasn't what many hoped.
It felt like a moment of opportunity with Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger having already departed but ultimately Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly arrived at the club, while Colwill went out on loan. Though a permanent departure was not inconceivable, the ownership were keen to impress that the defender's future lay at Stamford Bridge.
That will be tested once again. Colwill trained as the central player in a back three last summer and had three years left on his contract. The club are hoping to avoid players reaching the final two years of their deal moving forwards and want to sign the academy product to a long-term deal.
With plenty of competition present in the form of Trevoh Chalobah, Kalidou Koulibaly, Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana, Colwill may need to be persuaded of his pathway with Chelsea set to have less football to play than usual with no European competition to participate in.
Badiashile's January arrival led to worry for some, given his profile as a young, left-sided defender, though the Frenchman has played on the right during his development too. Thiago Silva's contract was set to expire in 2023 but has extended for a further year and despite rumours of a departure, he has committed himself to the club for the duration of his contract too.
"I only won't stay here if Chelsea decide they don't want me for next season," Silva told ESPN. "Or if the new coach arrives and doesn't want me to stay. I intend to fulfil the contract that I signed until next year and then, next year, we'll see what happens."
Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly have yet to be at the club for a year, though there is interest in the latter from Italy. The former Napoli star arrived for £33.8million, and an indifferent season may mean that Chelsea struggle to recoup their fee but with a squad that requires significant trimming already, the Blues may be forced to take note to ensure Mauricio Pochettino has a manageable squad.
Chalobah is another whose future was uncertain last summer. Rumours of loans and transfers emerged following the 23-year-old's breakout season but it was also impressed on the former Lorient loanee that his future lies in west London.
Despite being among Chelsea's best performers at stages this season, his involvement has stuttered but his versatility is once again proving invaluable. Lampard spoke highly of the defender following Chelsea's draw with Nottingham Forest.
He said: "He played well as a centre-back in a back-four, he's played well as a right-back. The bigger picture is the way to apply himself. He's a delight to work with every day because he comes in with an enthusiasm, he's low maintenance. When you talk about the things you want, he tries to do them on the pitch which is a great thing.
"In my short period here, you look at the games, with the individual players I've been very happy. I was looking forward to working with Trev because I didn't get the chance when I was here before. I tried getting him on loan when working elsewhere and now I can appreciate what a high-level player he is.
Lampard added: "I think he's always had that [technical ability]. He's played as a No.6 when on loan. He's played as a right-sided centre-half, where he steps into areas. You rely on the level of the player to be able to step in, to be able to make crosses, to be able to have a physical capacity, which he's got, so that's great but then you get that into the way you want him to play."
Chelsea may have transfer priorities that lie elsewhere on the pitch, particularly given the club still hold the Premier League's third-best defensive record despite frustrating individual errors across a disappointing season. However, to form consistent partnerships Pochettino may be tasked with some difficult decisions on his way to securing Chelsea's future as an elite force, especially if Chelsea make their move to a back four more permanent.
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