Moises Caicedo inspired by Chelsea 'idol' as Blues dream of Premier League title push

Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo has attributed his recent stellar performances to the influence of former Blues midfielder and Premier League champion N’Golo Kante.

Kante was instrumental in transforming a 10th-placed Chelsea side into league winners in 2017, following his dynamic role in Leicester’s title-winning season.

When Chelsea splashed out a record-breaking £115million for Caicedo from Brighton in the summer of 2023, similar expectations were placed on him. However, his first season at Stamford Bridge was challenging as the team grappled with form issues.

Under the guidance of head coach Enzo Maresca, Caicedo has emerged as a transformed player, forming a formidable midfield duo with Romeo Lavia, propelling the team to five consecutive victories and within two points of the top spot.

In Sunday’s 2-1 triumph over Brentford, he partnered with Enzo Fernandez, a pairing previously dismissed as ineffective, but one that proved crucial in overcoming Thomas Frank’s squad.

After setting up Nicolas Jackson for Chelsea’s decisive second goal, the 23-year-old Ecuadorian international acknowledged Kante’s impact on his game. “He is my idol, everyone knows this,” he declared.

“As I’ve said before, I just try to help the team and my team-mates. He was a very big player for Chelsea. I always watched videos of him and now I try to give my best.”

Kante’s influence is undoubted – the midfielder has achieved the rare feat of securing Premier League winners’ medals with different clubs in back-to-back seasons.

Eric Cantona, who triumphed with Leeds in 1992 before clinching Manchester United’s first Premier League title the following year, and Mark Schwarzer, who while not on the pitch, was part of the Chelsea squad in 2015 and then Leicester in 2016, also achieved the feat.

With their last title coming in 2017 under Antonio Conte, the Blues are looking like serious contenders again under Maresca.

A victory over Everton this Sunday at Goodison Park would take them to the top of the table for the first time since December 2021, although, Liverpool’s match against Tottenham on Sunday could demote the Londoners to second again.

Caicedo said: “It’s always important to win at home and seven wins in a row (in all competitions) feels so good. We are going to keep on working hard, that’s the most important thing.

“To keep on winning and to keep the momentum, we are going to work even harder.

“In the Premier League you never know the result until the end. We were really good (against Brentford) and did well. Sometimes you need to suffer a little bit and we suffered to win the game.

“He (Maresca) helps us a lot with playing under pressure, and we are doing fantastic so far. The manager and the fans help us a lot to win games. They give us the tools to be even better in every game.”