Chelsea didn’t have their best stuff at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, but they were able to grind out a point with a 1-1 draw against Manchester United in the first match of the post-Erik ten Hag era.
The Blues suffered and surrendered a goal in the 70th minute of the match to Bruno Fernandes after Rasmus Hojlund won the spot kick, but they had a hero there to equalize less than five minutes later.
So often, that hero is attacker Cole Palmer, who broke out in his first season at Stamford Bridge to become one the best players in the Premier League and the first footballer since Eden Hazard to be viewed as a future Ballon d’Or candidate.
Except on this day, it wasn’t Palmer who stood out as the goal-scoring hero and the star of the game for Chelsea, but rather that honor goes to another 2023 summer signing in defensive midfielder Moises Caicedo.
The Ecuadorian was the most expensive of all the blockbuster Chelsea transfers, so his poor first season after choosing the Blues over the Red Devils was taken as a surprise.
Named as a flop alongside fellow nine-figure signings Mykhaylo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez, Caicedo, unlike the other two, has redeemed himself big time in the 2024/25 season, with the turnaround starting this summer for his national team at Copa America.
Not only did Caicedo equalize for Chelsea against Manchester United, but he had another very solid all-around game for Enzo Maresca’s side. Caicedo drew three fouls, completed a pair of dribbles, and even created a chance in a quality all-around attacking display.
Of course, Chelsea paid Brighton the big bucks for Caicedo due to his defensive prowess, and the talented 23-year-old delivered in that respect, too, with four combined tackles and interceptions.
Chelsea would have certainly lost this match without Caicedo, whose display at Old Trafford falls in line with what has been a very strong rebound season in 2024/25.
Caicedo is completing 88 percent of his passes with nearly a key pass per game and 1.6 fouls drawn per match. Defensively, he’s returned to his status as one of the best in his position in the Premier League with more than five combined tackles and interceptions per game.
Even in the biggest matches, Caicedo is consistently one of the standout performers for Chelsea. If Palmer is the team’s best attacking player, Caicedo is their best defensive one, and he’s not too shabby at chipping in offensively when need be.
