There was no secret to Chelsea’s pursuit of a left wing-back last summer. Marcos Alonso was the Blues’ established first choice, yet Antonio Conte was striving to bolster the position and had been keen on Juventus star Alex Sandro. A move for the Brazilian eventually failed to materialise and it wasn’t for another six months that Chelsea finally landed competition for Alonso as the club’s starting wing-back.
Emerson Palmieri secured his move to Stamford Bridge from Roma back in January, and even that took until the dying embers of the January transfer window. The Brazilian has endured his injury issues, but prior to a serious knee complaint, he was widely considered one of the best left-backs in Italy. Signed for a fraction of the price Juventus were demanding for Sandro, Conte will have been thrilled to have finally bolstered a key position in his preferred three-man defensive setup.
Yet Emerson was merely signed as backup, at least initially. Alonso is one of the best in his position in the Premier League, if not Europe, and having already scored six goals and added a further two assists, the 27-year-old carries out his wing-back duties with aplomb. Yet, injuries or suspension would significantly dent Conte’s gameplan and that came to fruition last month.
In the 3-2 win over Southampton at St. Mary’s, an altercation between Alonso and Shane Long saw the former banned for three games after he was charged with violent conduct. Any fears that Chelsea’s approach would be altered, though, were rapidly batted away as Emerson slotted into the Blues XI with ease. The January arrival made his first start in the FA Cup against Hull, and provided an assist, back in February, but bar a sporadic cameo, it seemed Emerson would have to wait until next season, and potentially a new manager, in order to prove his worth to his boss and the fans.
That opportunity came earlier than many had anticipated, yet Emerson didn’t disappoint as he churned out three solid successive showings at Burnley, who he provided a key assist against having set up Victor Moses for the winning goal, Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final and Swansea as Chelsea secured a place in the FA Cup final and maintained the pressure on Tottenham in the race for a top-4 finish.
Having defended well and pressed forward commendably to stretch opponents, Emerson leaves Conte, and by that extension, his likely replacement, with a very real selection headache now that Alonso’s ban has come to an end. The Chelsea squad is undoubtedly familiar with Alonso’s style of play, yet Emerson hasn’t put a foot wrong and it’s feasible to suggest he deserves to keep his spot in the side, even with the welcome of Liverpool looming. Yet having secured a Champions League final berth, Jurgen Klopp could elect to rest his best players, even at the risk of dropping out of the top four.
In either case, though, Conte can take solace that he has two solid performers at left wing-back, six months after initially hoping he could snare Sandro. While eventually plumping for his cheaper compatriot, Emerson has proven a solid capture, even in his sporadic outings for the former champions. An increase in competition for starting spots is healthy in a squad that was largely competing on four fronts over the course of the campaign, even if Chelsea failed to make it past last-16 stage of the Champions League.
Now in, what is expected to be, the final stages of Conte’s time at Stamford Bridge, it remains to be seen whether he sticks with his tried and trusted wing-back in Alonso or hand Emerson the chance to prove he deserves to start on the left in the long-term. Given his demand for a wing-back last summer, it’s a selection headache Conte is happy to have and one wouldn’t be shocked to see him remedy that by utilising Emerson from now until the end of the season to keep their current run going.
