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Jordan Henderson has revealed what is happening behind the scenes at Chelsea that has contributed to their back-to-back wins after the international break. The Blues’ resilient display earned them a 2-0 away win at Everton on Saturday, a week after thrashing Bournemouth 5-1 at Stamford Bridge.
Henderson has started both games alongside Moises Caicedo in central midfield, offering far more control and defensive solidity than Chelsea’s previous partnerships. The England international also appears to have been a huge influence off the pitch, one of the key reasons Xabi Alonso brought him to the club.
Jordan Henderson is loving life at Stamford Bridge after making a controversial switch across West London from Brentford this summer. At 36, many doubted Henderson’s ability to contribute on the pitch, but he has already silenced the critics with a brace against Bournemouth and another classy performance against Everton.
Henderson is not only thriving on the pitch but has also immediately assumed a leadership role in the dressing room. Xabi Alonso named him in the Blues’ six-man leadership group when asked about the captaincy following Reece James’ injury update earlier this week.
The former Liverpool captain has now lifted the lid on the camaraderie within the Chelsea dressing room. He claimed that the “togetherness” between the squad and coaching staff has already improved drastically following a summer of upheaval.
“I’m loving playing football at the minute; I came back a month or so ago from my injury,” Henderson told the Chelsea website. “It’s an absolute privilege and honour to be playing with some of the players in this team. I’m just enjoying working with them every day and playing with them on the pitch. There’s some top- quality, top talent.
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“I really feel like the team is beginning to take shape in terms of togetherness. There have been a lot of new changes in the summer: coaching staff and players coming in. But I really feel the togetherness is coming, not only in training during the week and on the field, but off the field. That’s going to be important for us going forward, and for me, I’m just loving every second of it.”
Given Henderson’s experience in successful Liverpool and England teams, and his understanding of what it takes to succeed at the highest level, his comments bode well for Chelsea’s season. If the Blues win silverware this campaign, he could prove a masterstroke signing despite the doubts surrounding his arrival.