Chelsea cooking on Fabre-gas

Cesc Fabregas made history at the weekend – albeit with a little help from the past. He became the first player to notch up an assist in six consecutive Premier League games – four for Chelsea, and two residually from his last games for Arsenal. The other five, incidentally, are Darren Anderton, Gianfranco Zola, Ryan Giggs, Thierry Henry, and Antonio Valencia.

But a lot has happened since Cesc wore the red of Arsenal. It would be harsh to label the 27-year-old’s time back at Barcelona, his hometown club, give or take 40km, a failure. Most would regard winning, amongst other things, a Copa del Rey and a La Liga crown, a success, while an average of around 43 games a season suggests he was more or less first choice. Yet, the glorious return of the prodigal son ended after three seasons.

If Barca really wanted him to stay, he wouldn’t have left. Furthermore, Arsenal had the first option of a buy-back clause, but politely declined, citing a bloated midfield. Fair enough, perhaps, but a truly world-class player is not dismissed because of inflated rosters. 

So, to Chelsea it was. And after a blistering start, it looks the right move. Ironically, the man who had the biggest say in stopping Cesc winning a second title is now the man he's supplying with a loaded gun. Diego Costa is firing in at will, with a potentially terrifying partnership emerging for club and country.

At international tournaments, the 93-cap playmaker has always done well, but never nailed down his starting position. Think back to Euro 2008, when ostensibly he made a telling contribution to every game – coming off the bench.

There's definitely a role for that player on the international circuit. At the most recent World Cup, it seemed that every time Andre Schurrle came off the bench for Germany, he scored, assisted, or made a contribution. Would he, or previously Fabregas, have been such big contributors from the starting XI? Perhaps not.

Spain's Euro 2012 win, with Fabregas often playing as the furthest man up the pitch, is perhaps his greatest performance at a major tournament. Yet, every time it appears he's ready to make the move from very good to world class, something has been lacking. In Brazil, he just made two appearances from the bench.

Now, he may be ready to step up. In his first Premier Mark II game, the ex-Arsenal captain set up a Schurrle goal with an exquisite pass equivalent to any breathtaking volley or 40-yard screamer. It was this type of killer pass not seen often enough at Camp Nou.

And for Spain, after some important players moved into retirement, as a player approaching 100 caps and in the prime of his career, Cesc could be the man to build a team around.

Have Barca's board cast an inquisitive eye over affairs at Stamford Bridge? Indeed, has Luis Enrique taken an interest? There was roughly a three week period between the Coach’s appointment and Fabregas leaving. Enrique may want to reinvigorate the Masia philosophy, but clearly this alumnus was not included. 

Perhaps Barca fans are too busy purring over the delicious Lionel Messi-Neymar alchemy we witnessed on the weekend. Or more pertinently, the man who replaced Cesc, Ivan Rakitic, is operating as well in Catalonia as his midfield predecessor is in London.

With Fabregas starting so young, he is seemingly ageless, but Rakitic is a year younger, and can naturally adopt a cerebral approach to Barcelona, something not afforded to a cantera pupil. Rakitic may lack the trophy-laden CV of the Spaniard, but he is a graceful performer. Comparing how the two players perform over the coming months may make for fascinating observation.

La Liga - Club News