Since Frank Lampard was replaced in the Chelsea dugout by Thomas Tuchel in January, the club’s fortunes have taken a turn for the better.
The former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain boss has brought order and direction to the Blues’ play and involved practically every member of the playing squad he inherited.
Jorginho is one of those who has benefitted from the German’s arrival the most, featuring in every Premier League game under him until picking up an injury.
The dynamic was far different in the first half of the campaign, where the Italian played in 11 of Lampard’s 19 (58 percent) Premier League games in charge, starting eight.
Jorginho’s record in Tuchel until his knee injury was 100 percent, having played in each of the nine Premier League matches since the change of coach, starting eight.
The former Napoli man, now a senior figure in the squad at Stamford Bridge, has rediscovered the assuring presence that has made him such a successful midfielder.
Whether alongside N’Golo Kante or Mateo Kovacic, the Italian international has performed well. What’s more, he offers possession and poise, rather than the endless running of his two fellow midfielders.
That makes him a must-have for Tuchel’s style of play, which sees Chelsea dominate the ball more often than not, with Jorginho able to dictate their tempo fairly undetected.
The only time when the 29-year-old does hit the headlines is when he nets a crucial penalty, like he has done in wins over Tottenham, Sheffield United and Everton this calendar year.
Third best player in 2021
To underline the level of his displays since the turn of the year, Jorginho was named the third best player in Europe for 2021 by CIES Football Observatory, behind Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski.
Kante’s injury on international duty with France means that, providing Jorginho has recovered from a knee problem himself, the Italian is expected to play a key role alongside Kovacic in Chelsea’s quarter-final with Porto in the Champions League.