If Chelsea qualify for next season’s Champions League, then Kurt Zouma’s tackle in the 3-2 win over Crystal Palace might just have been the crowning moment.
The Blues were desperate for three points at Selhurst Park to keep their top four Premier League hopes in their own hands.
Frank Lampard’s side looked comfortable at first with Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic firing them into a 2-0 lead.
Wilfried Zaha’s excellent strike pulled one back, but Tammy Abraham looked like he had secured the win with his second goal of 2020.
Moments later, Christian Benteke netted and after that the Blues were up against it right until the final minutes.
After Kepa Arrizabalaga made a fingertip save to deny Scott Dann, Benteke raced through with what looked like a guaranteed equaliser.
However, from nowhere, Kurt Zouma raced across the ground and made a vital challenge which might just be the catalyst to securing a top four spot.
If the Blues are to progress in Lampard’s project, if they are to attract some of the biggest players, like signing Kai Havertz this summer, then Champions League qualification is vital.
Zouma might have just secured this for his side, so football.london thought it was worth a real in-depth look at the tackle.
The Blues were reeling towards the end of the match and had seemed to have lost control over the back line.
Dann’s effort had just been tipped on to the post by Kepa and the Blues had struggled to really get a grip on proceedings.
While Sky Sports were still showing highlights of the Dann chance, the Eagles were almost sticking the ball in the back of the net.
One of the keys of the move and Palace’s late surge was the skill of Zaha, who beat James all ends up but cutting inside.
The Blues were all over the place at the back, and the gaps between the back four were too big and allowing Benteke the space.
The reason for that was the excellent run from Palace’s Max Meyer. The substitute moved to the left flank, which dragged Christensen wider and offered space for the Belgian striker.
It was the perfect ball for Benteke and he moved forward towards Kepa and looked all but certain to level things up for the Eagles.
One of the big positives of Zouma’s game is his recovery pace, but the Frenchman looked so far away from the Belgian that it seemed impossible to get there.
The other element to Zouma’s tackle was the pure timing, sliding across the striker to make sure he got the ball, not taking out the man.
Benteke actually helped Zouma in where he aimed his shot, looking to go to Kepa’s left and opening his body up.
That allowed Zouma to time his tackle better without the risk of needing to go through Benteke and risking giving away a penalty.
The force of the tackle meant that there was no doubt the ball was only going out for a corner and not bounce around the box for someone else to pounce on to.
You could see the relief of the Chelsea players.
Kepa screamed in delight, while skipper Cesar Azpilicueta and Jorginho both congratulated the Frenchman for the tackle.
“It was fantastic from Kurt,” Blues boss Lampard said. “You are right, I think at Watford he played a really great game as well. Imposing for his defending and good on the ball.
“That’s everything I want and defenders might not always get credit for those sort of moments. Goal scorers get those but it was definitely a goal saving tackle at the end. It saves us those two points. I am really pleased with him."
For Chelsea to progress under Lampard, Champions League football has to be a part of that plan.
The Blues are trying to secure the future of Havertz at the club, and so to get into the top four will be a massive part of that.
Zouma’s tackle could be a huge moment in the race for those spots, and the Frenchman deserves the credit for it.
