The arrival of Eden Hazard and Oscar may have taken the spotlight of him, but Juan Mata has demonstrated his importance to the team in the last few matches quite brilliantly. The 24-year-old has been in such spectacular form that he has virtually handed Chelsea victories in the matches against Arsenal and Nordsjaelland.
After the two goals in the 4-0 win over Nordsjaelland, Mata now has four goals and four assists in the last four matches.
The Spaniard has been ever-present for club and country in the last season. It would have certainly burnt him out come January. In fact, he was not as effective in the first few matches of the season.
Juan Mata has said that he is enjoying his football more than ever.
“I want to improve. I feel I can still do better. Maybe this was one of the best weeks for me.
“It is a lot of fun to play in this shape, to play with players who like to play with the ball, quality players.
“I think it was a nice break for me. Two weeks resting, trying to get out of football and now I feel really fit.”
The decision by Chelsea to utilize the international break and give him rest for 2 weeks has done wonders. Not only is his passing more accurate, but it is also intelligent. He is now playing on the wings as opposed to the central position from last season due to the increased competition.
However, his impact on matches has actually increased. Mata himself has said that he will benefit from the break, but come January. Perhaps, his form is down to the latest sports drinks he has been having! It doesn’t seem to be the case because he is already having a lot of impact and long may it continue.
