Pat Nevin has claimed that Lionel Messi would be 'utterly proud' if he had scored the goal Mateo Kovacic pulled off against Leicester City. The 28-year-old netted a tremendous volley in the latter stages of Chelsea's 3-1 win over the Foxes at the weekend.
Kovacic, who captained the west London outfit to a second successive win, rifled the ball past goalkeeper Danny Ward from close range. The Croatia international displayed great athleticism and technique to leap ahead of his opponent before unleashing a scissor-kick manoeuvre.
He has managed just six goals for Chelsea since arriving from Real Madrid nearly four years ago — but every effort is as good as his last with the midfielder making a habit out of only scoring screamers. As it happens, Kovacic's previous Premier League goal for the Blues was reminiscent of the scissor-kick volley too, though outside the box.
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Nevin believes that the Croatian's strike against Leicester could be up there among his very best for the club.
Speaking to the official Chelsea website, the 59-year-old former Blues winger said: "It is the sort of finish that any player up to the level of Lionel Messi would be utterly proud of, and not just having the ability to do it, but having the imagination to get your body into the right position and then manufacturing the power from the scissor-kick."
After the win over Leicester, Graham Potter heaped great praise on Kovacic for his impressive performances this season. The Chelsea boss said: "He’s been the captain in the last two games, which tells you how influential he is.
"He’s a fantastic guy, I really like him. He is determined, has character, courage, and is prepared to take the ball in tight situations. What he’s achieved in his career with his national team and here at Chelsea, he is an important player for us."
Kovacic has recently entered the final 18 months of his contract at Stamford Bridge and, therefore, naturally faces a somewhat uncertain future.
The Croatian is not the only Chelsea player who sees their deal expire in June 2024, however, as he is joined by Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Cesar Azpilicueta, Thaigo Silva, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
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