Tiemoue Bakayoko: After worst 30 minutes by a player in Premier League this season, what has happened to Chelsea ace?
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TIEMOUE BAKAYOKO was meant to be the midfield powerhouse that would help Chelsea retain the Premier League title.
But the France international’s debut season in England has gone from bad to worse and the £40million the Blues paid Monaco looks like money wasted.
His performance against Watford on Monday night was undoubtedly the low point of his career since arriving in England. His 30-minute cameo saw him endlessly misplace passes, make clumsy challenges and constantly lose possession.
And he was shown a yellow card for two of those poor tackles, which saw him sent off by referee Mike Dean with just half an hour on the clock.
It’ll be hard to find a worse display in the Premier League this season and even Chelsea fans were chanting insults and waving him off the pitch after his dismissal.
So what’s gone wrong? We asked our friends at to look at whether the midfielder is simply short on confidence or just not good enough for the Blues.
Last summer, although it may seem a long time ago now to Chelsea fans, signing Bakayoko was considered a coup as the Premier League champions had beaten Manchester United to the midfielder’s signature.
The Paris-born French international was a key cog for Monaco as they shocked many on their way to winning the Ligue 1 title ahead of Paris Saint-Germain.
His performances alongside Fabinho also helped Leonardo Jardim’s side reach the Champions League semi-finals.
Bakayoko’s arrival at Stamford Bridge signalled the end of Nemanja Matic’s Chelsea career with the Serbian heading to Old Trafford for a similar fee to that which brought Bakayoko to London.
It appeared the Blues had got the better deal. They had sold a 29-year-old and replaced him with a 23-year-old, managing to break even in the process.
Though Matic had Premier League experience, Chelsea acquired a player who seemed perfect for the rigours of the English top flight – he impressed many in the Champions League win over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
His career at Stamford Bridge didn’t get off to the best start, though, with Bakayoko missing pre-season due to a knee injury.
Yet, when he made his debut against Tottenham Hotspur in August, he was one of the best players on the pitch despite his lack of game time. Conte singled him out for praise after that win.
“It was the first game for Bakayoko. Don’t forget that at some point I was a player and sometimes the motivation makes you get over your physical condition. He worked a lot in these last ten days [to get fit], for sure I saw a lot of improvement – otherwise it was very difficult for me to start him.
“He had an amazing performance but for sure he can improve. He needs to adapt to our style of football.”
The problem is, Bakayoko hasn’t. Chelsea fans would have hoped that after becoming accustomed to how they play, he would have improved. Arguably he’s got worse.
If the performance against Watford was a one-off, Chelsea fans would have accepted it, but he’s been poor for much of the season.
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Just last month Chelsea legend Frank Lampard suggested on Match of the Day that it was a confidence issue after a poor performance in the 0-0 draw against Leicester City.
“You talk about wanting to do the basics when it isn't going as well for you but you have to make recovery runs,” the former Blues midfielder said. “If you recover at pace there you can get the second ball but he doesn't.
“He's body language is slow, he sticks half a leg out at the ball. Fans will stick with you if you show reactions and urgency but he's not moving quickly enough and he has to switch on.
“You can have a dip when you come from another league but we are in January now and I really think he needs to start picking up. I think he might be struggling, it may be a confidence issue.”
That Leicester performance came off the back of an awful game at Arsenal where Bakayoko was instructed to keep Mesut Ozil quiet, but kept on letting the Gunners’ playmaker roam free.
And the Watford disaster came off the back of a poor showing in the Blues’ 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth, in which he was culpable for the Cherries’ opening goal.
But, of course, for Chelsea to shell out £40million for Bakayoko, he can’t be a bad player. And he was, as mentioned earlier, instrumental in Monaco’s hugely successful 2016/17.
All his numbers are down this season, though. His passing accuracy is at 86 per cent compared to 87 per cent. Against Watford it was a paltry 67 per cent.
But more telling is his defensive contribution. Per 90 minutes this season, he’s down on tackles (2.95 to 2.78), interceptions (2.33 to 1.57) and aerial duels (2.66 to 1.73). Put simply, he’s not dominating the midfield in England like he did in France.
Chelsea fans will hope that it’s merely a case of struggling to adapt to life at a new club, which has affected his confidence.
And Bakayoko has previous.
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When he joined Monaco he was dropped by Jardim due to his poor form. His attitude was also questioned.
Yet, after his first stuttering season, he knuckled down to prove his manager wrong and became a key part of the team.
The Blues will hope history repeats itself at Stamford Bridge. But if there’s no sign of improvement, Bakayoko will go down as an expensive failure. One that won’t be at the club for long.