In the 13th round of the Premier League, Chelsea drew 1-1 with Arsenal at home.
James’ Performance Against Arsenal
The match between Chelsea and Arsenal was originally billed as a blockbuster duel between two of the world’s best midfielders—Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice—but it was Reece James who ultimately stole the limelight in the heart of the pitch.
Ordinarily a right-back, James was deployed in midfield due to Romeo Lavia’s persistent injury issues. In the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, James partnered Caicedo, while Enzo Fernández played in a more advanced position.
Chelsea dominated the first half, but their momentum was halted in the 38th minute when Caicedo was sent off with a red card for a tackle on Martin Merino. At halftime, Maresca made a tactical adjustment, bringing on Alejandro Garnacho and dropping Fernández back to partner James in midfield.
Shortly after the restart, James delivered a cross for João Pedro to head home from close range. James then provided another cross, and Trevoh Chalobah nodded a lob over David Raya from a corner to give Chelsea the lead.
Eleven minutes later, Merino equalized with a header at the far post. However, thanks to James’ physicality in midfield, Chelsea remained competitive against Premier League leaders Arsenal even with ten men.
“Reece was absolutely brilliant—top class, exceptional,” Maresca said after the game, adding that he would consider how to use the 25-year-old in the midweek clash against Leeds United given his injury history. “Now we have another game on Wednesday. We need to manage him properly, control his game time, and monitor his condition slightly. But his performance tonight was fantastic.”
Chelsea’s display was impressive, while Arsenal were satisfied with maintaining their unbeaten run. The Gunners currently top the Premier League table with 17 points, five points clear of their rivals.
James’ Injury-Free Run Thanks to Proper Management
Chelsea believe James has finally overcome the long-term hamstring injuries that have plagued his career in recent years—and this transformation is no coincidence.
The key lies in the club’s comprehensive overhaul of the medical department, led by Director of Performance Bryce Cavanagh and Medical Director Craig Roberts, coupled with Maresca’s prudent approach to team selection. Together, they have introduced stricter load management measures and closer player monitoring to ensure long-term fitness.
Last month, when asked by the BBC how he had stayed injury-free for over 12 months, James said: “There are a lot of people behind the scenes helping me—they know who they are. There’s one person at the club working closely with me. He’s played a crucial role in keeping me on the pitch.”
Chelsea’s analytics team also plays a vital role, tracking player data to reduce injury risks while enabling high-intensity performances. Last season, Chelsea transformed from one of the Premier League’s most injury-hit teams to one of the healthiest—a major success story at Stamford Bridge.
Last season, James, like Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia, could only play one game a week. This year, both James and Fofana have remained injury-free and are permitted to play two to three games a week without reducing their physical intensity on the pitch.
However, Maresca admitted that starting James for the fourth consecutive game against Leeds might be a stretch. He has already featured heavily this week: playing the full 90 minutes against Arsenal, 82 minutes in the 3-0 midweek win over Barcelona, and the first half of last weekend’s 2-0 victory over Burnley.
The Chelsea captain also reached a personal milestone last month, making his 200th appearance for the club in the game against Nottingham Forest—his first run of four consecutive starts in over two years, despite an international break in between.
Reflecting on the milestone, James said: “200 appearances—it’s like a dream come true. I probably wish it had come a bit sooner!”
