When Juan Manuel Mata was purchased from Valencia for a princely sum of £23.5m,there were question marks over his ability to fully justify his hefty price tag,the rather lazy stereotype of whether a player with a slight stature can cope with the rigours of the English top-flight was churned out once again.
Yet over a year later,Mata has justified every penny spent on him,he has delivered several match winning performances.He has shown that he has tenacity,strength,vision,tactical awareness & creativity all packed into his 5'7in frame.
A superb debut against Norwich set the tone for his season.He began to pull all the strings in Chelsea's midfield,initiate attacks,give countless assists,he also scored important goals(the highlight was that 25yard screamer against Arsenal).
Even though he was somehow subdued in the two champions league semi final tie against Barcelona probably due to the fact that Chelsea abandoned his favoured attacking game,the games(particularly the 2nd leg) only served to show his commitment to the team,he showed the willingness to put his body on the line,he showed his admirable attitude.
This season started slowly for him,he was fatigued,the effect of playing over 50 games for club & country.But once he came back from a 2week break granted by Di Matteo he quietly went back to his effervescent best with minimal fuss,as shown by virtuoso displays against Juventus,Arsenal,Nordjaelland,Norwich& most recently Spurs.
Once thing is now crystal clear:He is Chelsea's most important player.
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