Former Premier League star Michael Owen has heaped praise on young midfielder Billy Gilmour, who produced a standout display against Everton in the Premier League on Sunday. The 18-year-old was handed with his maiden league start for the Blues in the absence of several key midfielders and he produced a solid performance from the holding role.
As a result, he was handed with the man of the match for the second-straight game for Chelsea in all competitions and Owen is definitely pleased with the maturity level of the Blues graduate, he told Premier League productions: “It’s all about character isn’t it? if you can come into the team and feel part of it straight away then that’s what it’s all about.
“A lot of these players have got the talent and they need the chance but sometimes they’re so overawed of playing with their heroes because they’ve been dreaming of playing with some of these for years and years. All of a sudden you’re telling them to give you the ball but that’s not as easy as it would seem. It takes a certain type of character to just come into the team and look as if he’s been there for years and he certainly has.”
Chelsea registered a comfortable 4-0 triumph over Everton at home on Sunday and the victory has ensured that they have preserved their fourth position for yet another gameweek. Next up, they have a Champions League round of 16 clash against Bayern Munich away from home. The west London side succumbed to a heavy 3-0 defeat during the home leg and they now face an improbable task of overcoming the deficit.
The west London side will need to score three goals without conceding at the Allianz Arena to take the game to extra-time and that remains a difficult task despite the fact that Robert Lewandowski won’t be available for the game after a knee injury. The Poland international contributed towards all three goals scored by Bayern at Stamford Bridge last month.