It was a sweet homecoming for Chelsea’s Reece James in their Carabao Cup final against Liverpool. The Blues lost the battle in the end, but James was cheered on like a champion.
Reece James has been injured for the past two months, and fans had gone crazy without him in their lives. Watching James watch from the sidelines has been torture. Pivotal to our 3 at the back, wingback system, the 22-year-old has built up quite the reputation amongst the fanbase.
Watching his return on television doesn’t quite tell half the story. The atmosphere inside the stadium highlighted just what James means.
Before his injury, there were debates surrounding the best full-back in the Premier League. Names in the conversation included Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joao Cancelo and, of course, Reece James. For several Chelsea fans, including myself, James was ahead. Call me biased, but admittedly as a Chelsea fan, he really had a place in my heart over the rest.
He is an incredible talent and is probably the best in terms of a wing-back out of the three.
While the debates thickened on social media, James suffered a hamstring injury that saw him out of action for over eight weeks. The fans went crazy just to see him warming up. It was destiny for his return against Liverpool in a cup final.
Malang Sarr and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were first to start their run-ups on the sidelines. Reece James then joined them and was met with cheers from the far end of Wembley. Azpilicueta picked up a knock, and fans held their breath in anticipation to see James’ name up on the board. The Chelsea Captain was substituted off, and as James stepped foot on the pitch, the fans roared with cheers. The cheers were so loud, and you’d have thought Chelsea had scored another offside goal.
Of course, he was met with boos from the Liverpool fans. The closest English rival to take the mantle from their precious Alexander Arnold. I would have booed, too, if I was in their shoes! It’s friendly rivalries that built up the tension for James’ arrival, and it boosted the spirits of those in the stands.
When I think of players who have that extra arrogance to their game in big matches, I think of Frank Lampard, John Terry, Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole e.t.c. Now I put Reece James amongst the ranks. The coin toss for the penalty shootout went in favour of Liverpool. The blues had to play their penalties in front of a hostile Liverpool fan base. The Chelsea wing-back and potential future Chelsea captain waltzed towards the penalty spot, oozing with confidence.
He was set to play his penalty right after Trent Alexander-Arnold, who built up the sea of red whilst they celebrated his goal. James got the best of Kelleher, turned around, and shushed the Liverpool fans.
The infamous Jose Mourinho finger on lip gesture that Liverpool fans had seen in Mourinho's reign, one too many times.
It was poetry, to say the least. The boos rose, and the wind up worked.
James is back, and the team takes one step towards full recovery. We have been hit with some difficult games, and the clinical shots from the right-wing had suffered. I'm looking forward to welcoming him back to the Bridge this weekend.
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