The evening ended in frustration for Chelsea. Long into the match at the Parc des Princes against PSG, the Blues finally sank into a completely crazy final to lose (5-2) in the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League. However, everything is not to be thrown away on the London side. In a team that ended up giving in to the Parisian onslaught, Malo Gusto was one of the rare players to get his head above water. Established in the right lane by Liam Rosenior, the 22-year-old French full-back delivered a solid performance, mixing defensive activity and offensive projections, confirming that he is reaching a milestone in his young career.
“It’s a good opportunity. My goal is always the same: I want to show that I can play at the highest level that I have the qualities for. It’s going to be a good test», had also announced. The message was clear and, despite the heavy final defeat, Gusto had his way in the match. Shining in the Champions League, in France, against PSG, three months before a World Cup and a few days before a Didier Deschamps list was nothing trivial. In this particular context, the Blues full-back displayed a personality and intensity which did not escape French observers. And that’s saying something since the native of DĂ©cines-Charpieu was the author of the Blues’ first equalizer, and not the least. His finish in front of Matvey Safonov restarted, for the first time, the evening for the Stamford Bridge residents.
A copy of a leader at all levels
On the pitch, Malo Gusto embodied one of the symbols of London’s resistance before the final collapse. Very active in his lane, he increased his defensive interventions, winning seven of his eight duels on the ground and making several valuable recoveries. His reading of the game allowed him to intercept three balls and regularly relieve his defense against the Parisian accelerations. Offensively, he also tried to make his contribution with projections and two successful dribbles, illustrating his desire to influence both directions of the game. After the match, the Frenchman also gave a lucid speech on his team’s performance. “Everyone was running for the others, we showed a lot of impact, good things in attack. But in the end, I think we have to know how to recognize the moment when it is better to fall back, wait for them and not concede a goal, because we know there will be a return match. The key word now is “belief”. You have to believe. At home, we know we have a chance to get out of this», he affirmed for the website of theUEFA.
This performance is the continuation of a very solid season for the French defender. At just 22 years old, Malo Gusto has established himself as one of the most consistent players in the Chelsea squad in all competitions. Widely used by Enzo Maresca then Liam Rosenior, the number 27 of the Blues has a series of starts and shows constant progression in his defensive impact as well as in his offensive participation. His activity against PSG illustrates this perfectly with seven defensive assists, six recoveries, four attempted tackles and a constant presence in duels. With a successful pass rate of 77% and a real ability to throw the ball at his feet, Malo Gusto confirms that he is no longer just a promising young talent, but a modern full-back capable of influencing the game at the highest level. As the major international events approach, this rise in power could well attract the attention of the Blues coach, always on the conquest of sure values ​​on the right where Jules Koundé is the only element.
