Owen Hargreaves is right, 72-touch Chelsea player transforms them into 'different team'
Xabi Alonso's side have been in top form this season, with the Spaniard proving he has what it takes in England's top flight.
The London side have now picked up 13 points from a possible 21 available.
However, one of their many issues this season has been their defensive record.
The clean sheet certainly helps ease those concerns, but the last two fixtures have represented a turning point.
And there is one common denominator in both of those starting lineups.
Owen Hargreaves bang on the money about Moises Caicedo
When a player costs as much as Moises Caicedo, you do expect them to have a major influence on the team.
And the Ecuadorian continues to prove he was well worth the £115million Chelsea bought him for back in 2023.
The 24-year-old has returned from injury now, and has wasted no time taking centre stage.
Against Everton, just 12 minutes on the clock, TNT Sports commentator Owen Hargreaves noted his influence early on in the match, stating that Chelsea are a "different team" with the midfielder in the lineup.
Throughout the game, that fact continued to resonate, with the South American completing more passes than anyone on the pitch, as per FotMob.
Furthermore, only Jordan Henderson (73) had more touches in Chelsea's squad than Caicedo (72) at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
While those traits to get on the ball and keep play ticking are key, the most important transformation he provides is making the Blues a much more solid team.
While it is just a small sample size, Chelsea are averaging just 0.5 goals conceded with Caicedo starting this campaign.
The statistic has dropped by 73.7 per cent across the last two games compared to the seven-game average of 1.9 goals conceded per game.
Xabi Alonso cannot overwork Caicedo
Caicedo's injury at the start of the season was far from ideal, and it made their midfield issues quite bare.
Chelsea failed to get a last-minute central midfield signing over the line, and have been left to play players such as Malo Gusto out of position at times.
However, Chelsea do need to be careful with Caicedo. With midfield options slim, and the Ecuadorian's importance clear, Alonso could fall into the trap of using him at every given chance.
Chelsea's lack of European football will certainly help him get rest, but during these early stages since he returned from injury, concerns will linger, at least in the short term.