Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Fulham might be featured in a David Attenborough documentary.
And right here now we have … a much less spotty Billy Gilmour … wandering round in his pure atmosphere.
With Thomas Tuchel wanting to provide N’Golo Kante and Jorginho a well-deserved relaxation, Gilmour bought his first Premier League look below the brand new boss and solely his third in all competitions, and he did okay.
Gilmour had a stable show | NEIL HALL / Getty Photographs
Positioned in an unorthodox double-six alongside Mason Mount, Gilmour was the first hyperlink between Chelsea’s protection and midfield. The photographs have been all the time an possibility for his or her teammates and typically did nicely within the face of Fulham’s excessive stress and sprayed passes round the sector with typical ease.
Regardless that he was solely 19 years outdated, Gilmour confirmed his confidence and calm in the direction of senior professionals. He was not afraid of the soiled work and would throw his physique at any Fulham participant who got here his manner.
The drawback, nonetheless, is that he misplaced most of those duels.
Defensively, Gilmour seemed greater than somewhat shaky, and on paper it seemed like he nonetheless has a variety of work to do earlier than he’s able to quarrel with seniors usually. Thankfully for {the teenager}, this shouldn’t be the case.
Fulham’s physicality was a drawback Pool / Getty Photographs
This sport noticed Gilmour line up towards the attack-minded Mount, who confirmed that he doesn’t have the positional self-discipline to play as a sixer. He typically flew ahead to have interaction in assaults and left his teammate uncovered in midfield.
For the document, it is good. Mount shouldn’t be a sixer and won’t ever be performed there persistently, and it was his brilliance in assault that led to Kai Havertz’s opening objective. With out Mount, that strike is not going to occur. He is an excellent soccer participant … simply not like a sixer.
With Mount trapped within the ultimate third and Hakim Ziyech not doing the soiled work both, 5’7 Gilmour was left on an island towards excessive pastures like Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Mario Lemina and Josh Maja.
Gilmour was usually harassed by that sort of physicality, so Kante was taken off the bench for the final 25 minutes. The Frenchman will not be a hard and fast object both, however he has the data to take care of the bodily degree – one thing Gilmour must be taught.
Kante has clearly figured it out, however for Gilmour, Jorginho is a greater function mannequin. The Italian has this unbelievable capacity to control house to keep away from having to get into these bodily battles, which is how he can keep afloat in midfield despite the fact that he shouldn’t be a great defender. It is the mind over.
On the age of 19, Gilmour is continuously on this planet engaged on the small points, it is not as if he is totally hopeless in that space both. He gained 3/8 on the bottom and 1/3 within the air, so there’s clearly one thing to construct on.
Sitting in a crew with Kante or Jorginho, Gilmour would get the assistance he must facilitate him for senior soccer. The additional assist would free him as much as play his pure sport, and all of us know the way superb he could be when he shoots on all cylinders.
When he bought the prospect to play his pure sport, Gilmour did a stable job towards Fulham and Tuchel made it clear that his skills had not gone unnoticed.
The longer term nonetheless appears vivid for Gilmour | Mike Hewitt / Getty Photographs
“Very, excellent,” he instructed Chelsea TV when requested about Gilmour’s efficiency. “He is a assured man, he is nicely conscious of his qualities, which is sweet.
“It was not vital for him to persuade me at present as a result of I’m already satisfied, in any other case I’d not have chosen him for the line-up. So it was vital that he performs his function, that he helps the crew, and that’s what he did. I is blissful for him. “
Gilmour nonetheless has work to do, however early indicators have been extraordinarily encouraging. With simply somewhat extra assist, the shoots can flourish right into a core half in the primary crew.
For extra from Tom Gott, comply with him on Twitter!
