Reece James captained Chelsea to a 1-0 win against their London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
It was a pretty quiet afternoon for James and the rest of Chelsea’s defence, with Spurs not creating much.
Thomas Frank was very critical of Tottenham after the game, stating that they did not match their opponents’ energy or intensity during the London derby.
In the end, it was a really good team performance from Chelsea. There was a real togetherness about them, especially at the half-time whistle.
Reece James made sure Chelsea players headed down tunnel together
After the referee blew his whistle to bring the first half of the match to a conclusion, James gathered all of his Chelsea teammates so that they could walk down the tunnel together.
It was “something new”, according to journalist Kieran Gill, who posted a video of the scene on social media.
James’ act was an interesting one. Perhaps the Chelsea captain did not want any of his teammates to face likely abuse from Tottenham supporters alone.
Whatever the case, Enzo Maresca can be happy with the leadership skills that the defender is showing right now.
During the week, Aston Villa star Matty Cash admitted that he watches James in an effort to improve his own game.
Reece James has grown into captain’s armband at Chelsea
The reason why Maresca will be so delighted with James’ recent conduct as a captain is because he has not always been convinced about the right-back in that role.
Last year, Maresca was very critical of James for not showing enough leadership. The Chelsea boss said: “Yes, I spoke with him and I expected from him more in terms of leadership, inside the changing room and for different kind of things.”
It is an area where the England international has really improved, though, with what he did at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium being a fine example.
James is no longer getting silly bookings for lashing out and altercations either, instead acting as the peacemaker when things flare-up on the pitch.
It is what Chelsea need from their captain right now with the team having a bit of a disciplinary issue.
Liam Delap’s red card during the week was Chelsea’s sixth of the season, including Maresca’s against Liverpool.