David Luiz mirrors Chelsea this season… heavenly one moment, diabolical the next
Brazilian defender produced a moment of magic to inadvertently play a one-two off Juan Jesus to fire in first goal against Roma
DAVID LUIZ is just about as devout a Christian as you can get - insisting he owes everything in life to God.
But even he, in his wildest dreams in bible class as a kid, could not have imagined one day actually playing a one-two with Jesus at Stamford Bridge.
Divine intervention or not, Luiz was certainly lucky when his wayward pass to Alavaro Morata instead found Roma defender Juan Jesus on the edge of the box, who inadvertently played it straight back to him.
With a swing of his right boot, Luiz planted a curling shot just inside the post from 25 yards out to get Chelsea up and running before the night unravelled.
Redemption it certainly was. In the last Champions League match, Luiz’s rush of blood gave away a penalty at Atletico Madrid, leaving his team-mates to fight an uphill battle and make victory all the more difficult to achieve.
Last month, his wild airborne lunge at Arsenal’s Sead Kolasinac resulted in a three-game ban for violent conduct.
Last night, shunted forward from defence into midfield due to injuries, Luiz showed why he mirrors Chelsea as a whole this season; heavenly one minute, diabolical the next.
With his frizzy mop of hair flattened by the rain and flowing off the back of his head as he ran, Luiz scored a spectacular goal after only 11 minutes and raised his face and hands skywards in thanks.
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Suddenly everything looked rosy again with the Premier League champions.
But after only 11 minutes of the second half, he was hauled off by Conte as the gameplan began to fall apart as Roma fought back from 2-0 down to lead at one stage before Chelsea’s equaliser.
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By that time, Luiz had pumped another shot into the Upper Tier of the Matthew Harding Stand behind Roma’s goal and ticked off his own manager with a wagging finger as his boss lost the plot on the touchline.
He then ignored advice from coach Carlo Cudicini to take a seat in the dugout and accosted the fourth official in a very un-Christian like manner as he stomped off down the tunnel leaving the rest of them to it.
For while Luiz is a fine player, and a great asset to the Chelsea squad, he symbolises the alarming lack of consistency in the camp.
Last season, the treatment room at the training ground was windblown and empty. This year they are dropping like flies.
After starting the season with a shocking defeat at home to Burnley, Chelsea then embarked on a run of form which suggested they could retain the Premier League.
Now it is three games without a win and the performances reflect that. From 2-0 up they were suddenly 3-2 down and in danger of a full-blown collapse.
Fighting on the European and domestic fronts maybe is a bit too much and perhaps Chelsea do need a little bit of help from Him upstairs.
Because right now, you can’t rely on Luiz, Conte or anyone in Blue to sort things out.
