“I came here to compete, to learn and enjoy, not to sit wracking my brains,” were the words of a frustrated Fabregas in early September. The reason for his gripe was due to a lack of playing time. Up and until then this term, he had not played more than an hour in any of Barcelona League games while he saw just eight minutes on the field in the Spanish Super Cup final. It was a situation that was clearly unsettling the former Arsenal captain.
It must now seem a long time ago for Fabregas. He is not only now playing more, he is also playing very well. In fact, he is perhaps enjoying his best spell since making the switch from Emirates stadium to the Camp Nou last summer.
Last weekend in the goal-feast against Deportivo, Fabregas was mesmerising. Drifting in between the attacking lines, he was virtually impossible to mark and his link-up play with Lionel Messi was almost telepathic at times. Whilst withdrawn on the hour mark, it was not before he provided three world-class assists for his teammates to score.
On Saturday in Barcelona’s tricky trip to Rayo Vallecano, Fabregas continued where he left off in La Coruna. He again provided the assist that opened the scoring before getting on the score-sheet himself after the break. He rounded out his and Barcelona’s night when releasing Messi to go on and make it 5-0.
In his last six games in all competitions for the Catalans, the Spain international has now found the net on four occasions and provided four assists. It is an impressive return by any standard, but, perhaps even more remarkable when considering that it makes him responsible for almost half of Barca’s total scored during that run.
Fabregas now has the most assists in La Liga and together with Messi, in terms of goals and assists, the two currently account for 22 of Barcelona’s 29 League goals. In addition, even in a team that in Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez arguably boasts the two best pass masters in the world, it is Fabregas who leads his side in terms of accurate through balls and key passes made.
It is not just in going forward that Cesc is staking a claim to be a more central for the Catalan giants. He is also putting in the yards defensively, despite often playing in a more advanced midfield role. Against Rayo he made as many tackles as any player on the pitch while he equalled the highest number for interceptions made.
Gifted going forward, equally tenacious when chasing the ball and as versatile as any modern day attacker, in any other team in the world Cesc would be guaranteed a crucial role. Given the likes of who he has to compete with this is not the case at Barcelona, a fact he himself realises: “At Arsenal I felt super-important but here you need to take on board that three of the five best players in the world play your position.”
Yet, Fabregas has always claimed that he has remained determined to fight and carve out his place at Barcelona, despite the competition. And, finally now, all his hard work and his single-mindedness to keep going and to do so seems to by paying off.
