9 months ago
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Statistics show that Chelsea have enjoyed more success this season when fan favourite Thiago Silva isn't in the team.
The veteran centre-back is held in very high regard at Stamford Bridge after a series of mighty performances since signing in 2020, winning the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup.
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Despite his vast experience, Silva was named on the bench for Chelsea in their FA Cup fourth round replay 3-1 win against Aston Villa but did come on for the final ten minutes.
His recent omission though came after his wife Belle took to social media towards the end of their 4-2 defeat to Wolves and called for Mauricio Pochettino to leave the club.
Pochettino, who insisted he selects his players 'based on performance and balance', and Silva have since held clear-the-air talks, with Belle issuing an apology before Chelsea's win.
Blues fans in the away end at Villa Park sung his name throughout, with the 39-year-old hugely popular in west London.
However, following Wednesday night's crucial victory, statistics prove that Chelsea tend to fare better when Silva is omitted from the side.
Across all competitions this season, the defender has started in 25 matches and been left out of the first XI on seven occasions.
Chelsea's win rate with his involvement stands at 36 per cent, a far cry from the 86 per cent when he has been left out of action.
The Blues have also lost 40 per cent of the matches he has played, with his figure dropping to just 14 per cent without him.
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While Silva's appearances have seen them score an average of 1.72 goals a game compared to 1.71, it's their efforts to stop conceding that are much improved when he doesn't feature.
Chelsea concede 0.71 goals per game without the Brazilian and when he does play, this rises to 1.72.
Mauricio Pochettino reveals that he held talks with Thiago Silva about Chelsea star's wife following her recent comments
Of course, correlation does not always mean causation, and there could be other factors at play.
Silva has made 145 appearances for the Blues throughout his four seasons at the club, proving to be an ever-reliable asset in defence.
Without him on Wednesday night, Conor Gallagher and Nicolas Jackson scored to put Chelsea 2-0 up at half-time before a stunning Enzo Fernandez free-kick sealed their spot in the FA Cup fifth round.
Moussa Diaby pulled on back for Villa in stoppage-time but it wasn't enough to inspire a comeback, with Chelsea to host Leeds in the next round as they desperately seek silverware this season.
