Levi Colwill: Chelsea’s centre-back is becoming one of Europe’s best young defenders

Losing Thiago Silva this summer was a blow for Chelsea, but head coach Enzo Maresca has found a worthy successor. Levi Colwill is currently the best-performing under-21 centre-back across Europe’s five major leagues.

Maresca’s top priority as the new Blues manager, following Mauricio Pochettino, was stabilising the defence. Initially, there were concerns about the partnership of Wesley Fofana and Colwill. Fofana missed the entire 2023-24 season due to injury, while Colwill nominally played at left-back. However, the partnership has quickly become successful and has the potential to rival the strongest pairings in the league.

So far this season, Chelsea have conceded an average of 1.14 goals and faced 13.86 shots on target per game in the Premier League. The Blues rank fifth best and 11th in these metrics, respectively. It is a work in progress, especially considering the newness of their centre-back pairing. One player has returned after a lengthy time on the sidelines, while the other transitioned into a different position. However, the signs are promising, with Colwill making a strong impression.

Colwill has been ever-present for Chelsea in the Premier League this season. In that time, the Blues have conceded eight goals while keeping two clean sheets. But focusing on his individual game, the 21-year-old is the best-performing central defender in Europe’s big five leagues born after January 2003, based on our Squawka Score rating system which looks at statistical leaders for metrics relevant to their positions.

His current score of 74% places him below seven players, with Real Madrid’s Éder Militão (81%) leading the pack. Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke (79%) is behind and Union Berlin’s Diogo Leite (77%) rounds of the first three places. Colwill is the Premier League’s third best-performing centre-back, trailing the Dutch duo of the aforementioned Van Hecke and Virgil van Dijk (77%).

Analyzing his performance statistics, Colwill ranks in the 80-95th percentile of central defenders per 90 in terms of interceptions inside the penalty area (0.29), retention rate (90.78%), and blocked shots (1.14). Additionally, he is in the 95th percentile for last-man tackles (0.14) and big chances created (0.14), demonstrating his effectiveness at both ends of the pitch.

Colwill faces a challenging match in his next Chelsea league game as they head to Anfield to play against Liverpool. With Fofana suspended, he will have a new defensive partner for the game. Tosin Adarabioyo will likely step in to take the Frenchman’s place. One thing is sure: Colwill excels at the core of Chelsea’s defence, and Maresca’s appointment has significantly enhanced his performance.

“I’m really happy with my form so far this season and I put a lot of that down to the gaffer,” he told Chelsea’s official website. “He’s given me a lot of confidence and he’s put a lot of trust in me to play my football. He wants me to start attacks from the back and having that trust makes me feel a big part of how we want to play.

“I want to thank him for giving the opportunities to play and for allowing me to play my football in the way I feel I’m good at. He’s always pushing me and I’m really enjoy working under him.”