Chelsea fans were left pining for their midfield general Moises Caicedo in the aftermath of their Premier League defeat at Arsenal.
The Ecuador international failed a late fitness test for the Blues as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to the reigning league champions at the Emirates Stadium. He was forced off in the Blues' most recent game against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend with a physical problem.
Caicedo was not with the squad for the game, with Romeo Lavia and Reece James paired in the middle of the park for Xabi Alonso's side. His absence was keenly felt once more, as the Blues lost the midfield battle against their rivals.
They ended up losing to a goal that could possibly have been stopped by the 25-year-old midfielder, adding insult to injury.
Caicedo Still Absent as Chelsea Taste First Defeat
Moises Caicedo was nowhere to be seen as Chelsea lost for the first time in a competitive game under Xabi Alonso.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Alonso had exuded some form of hope that the midfielder would be fit enough to feature against the Gunners.
It was, however, no surprise to see the former Brighton man absent from the 20-man matchday squad, as Alonso had been mealy-mouthed with his condition.
Chelsea's failure to sign another midfielder on deadline day once again bit them in the back, with 22-year-old Valentin Barco the only natural midfielder on the bench.
Alonso refused to allow Lavia to feature beyond the hour mark, hauling off the Belgian for full-back Malo Gusto to feature in the middle of the park.
Arsenal were largely comfortable on the ball in the middle and final thirds without Caicedo's persistent hassling and harrying.
Their winner came as a result of Chelsea's lack of a specialist defensive-minded central midfielder in the game, with Martin Odegaard ghosting into the box without being tracked by any of the Blues' players.
All of Lavia, James, and Gusto gave good accounts of themselves, but none of them is adept at nicking the ball off the opposition and snuffing out threats like Caicedo is, and it was evident once again.
Chelsea Fans Rue Caicedo's Absence
On social media, Chelsea's fans were disappointed by Caicedo's absence and its significance to the outcome of their game against Arsenal.
One of them pointed out that the Blues backline was shaky and stated that Caicedo's absence was evident in how the team performed. "This Chelsea's defence is really shaky plus Caicedo not in that midfield is very obvious. It's today we really miss the impact of Caicedo in our midfield."
Another one was confident that the Blues would have won the game if Caicedo was fit. "If Caicedo was fit, Chelsea win today, easy."
One fan stated that the club needs to get Caicedo back to full fitness, pointing to the team's performance as evidence of his importance. "Caicedo's importance is on display right now. It's vital we get him fit."
Another fan simply admitted that the team missed Caicedo in the game. "We are missing Caicedo."
A fan predicted that Caicedo's return will shorten the gap between Chelsea and Arsenal, who are by far the league's best team. "Arsenal are clearly best in the prem but I think the gap between them and Chelsea will be smaller when Caicedo is back."
Xabi Alonso revealed after the game that a decision was reached to have Caicedo sit out this one in a bid to avoid rushing him back too early for a second week running.
The Ecuadorian should be back shortly, and his side will be so much better with him playing.
