Chelsea are leading 1-0 against Bournemouth at half time, and it’s all thanks to Moises Caicedo’s first goal for the club.
The Ecuadorian couldn’t have opened his account in a more impressive way. Cherries goalkeeper Neto raced from his box to prevent Raheem Sterling getting on the end of a long ball, but the Brazilian’s sliding clearance only made it as far as Caicedo on the halfway line.
He had to think fast, and he made the right call, taking one touch to bring in the loose ball and then striking the shot so well that it beat
The angle used for most of the replays doesn’t really communicate the brilliant technique that Caicedo showed. It’s so hard to hit a ball that hard while keeping it straight, and the angle from behind him shows how much force he was able to generate while still getting the ball directly where he wanted it – above the retreating Neto and defenders, but still dropping below the crossbar.
You can see this alternate angle in the clips embedded here:
[Footage from NBC Sport]
A great way to finish the season
Nobody should be underestimating Caicedo’s technique, as this shows. While his skillset is mainly defensive, he really is an all round player, and we can hope for a few goals from him every year.
Granted they won’t all be this good, but if he can get 5 a season that’s a solid start. Given we spent £100m on him, that’s the least we can expect. But there are plenty of others in this team with goals in them, and Caicedo’s focus should be as much on working out how to play in a two man double pivot with Enzo Fernandez as anything else.
Still, after a rocky season it was a glorious moment for Caicedo.