Caicedo needed time and he managed to prove why Chelsea bought him
Moises Caicedo needed time to adapt to Chelsea and assimilate what Pochettino wanted from him. And that amount of time caused doubts and talk about his quality and of course the cost of his transfer. In the amazing finale of the "blues" in this year's Premier League, he showed why the team and the fans had to be a little more patient with him.
By KONSTANTINOS ZALIARIS
The Ecuadorian midfielder scored the longest goal in the Premier League since 2017 after firing from 50 meters to open the scoring in a 2-1 win over Bournemouth on the final matchday of the Premier League season.
It was his first goal at league level since September 2022, but the manner in which it was achieved, and the timing at which Caicedo managed to score for the first time with his blue shirt, were absolutely significant.
The footballer couldn’t find the usual rhythm for his game. Chelsea had to wait a long time for him. He made mistakes, he had bad appearances, he had entered the black hole that the whole team had fallen into until the end of March, but in the end, it was a matter where he wanted his time.
Having moved from Brighton to London for €116m last summer, obviously the fans and Chelsea people too would have liked to have seen the regular Caicedo much sooner than that happened.
The 22-year-old midfielder "carried" all season the tag of the expensive transfer that couldn’t prove anything on the pitch, but in the final games he was one of those who played a decisive role for Pochettino's team.
The 5x5 to end the season by securing a European ticket via a 6th-place finish in the Premier League was the ultimate testament to both Pochettino's work on the project that began last summer and the ways in which Caicedo can help.
In the match against Bournemouth he scored the terrific lobbed goal from 50 meters with a control and an excellent touch on the ball, a sign of the confidence that now distinguishes his game in the blue shirt. And everything can only get better from here on out.
Of course, it is not certain that the project under Pochettino’s guidance will continue, but the young midfielder has found his footing, felt the confidence and fortunately for Chelsea shows that he can contribute significantly.