Following an inconsistent start at Stamford Bridge, Caicedo has established himself as a key figure in Enzo Maresca’s squad, playing in all 38 Premier League matches and delivering standout performances. ..Continue Reading
The Ecuadorian midfielder earned Chelsea’s Player of the Year award, playing a crucial role in their return to the Champions League and scoring in their Conference League final victory over Real Betis.
Despite his contributions, Scholes remains unconvinced about Caicedo’s overall impact, questioning his influence on Chelsea’s success this season.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Overlap with SkyBet, Scholes said: ‘I think a lot of people talk about Caicedo. “He’s played 38 games”. Brilliant, what an achievement.
‘But was there much quality? Did he create a lot? Did he control a lot of games for Chelsea? I don’t remember that.
‘I think there’s an era now, with midfielders especially, where you can go through seasons and games without really contributing.’
Many fans on social media were shocked by Scholes’ comments, and it appears even Chelsea were keen to issue a rebuttal.
Posting on the club’s X account, Chelsea posted a thread of statistics highlighting that Caicedo had made the most appearances (38) and won the most tackles (114) of any Chelsea player in the Premier League last campaign.
Only four players made more tackles than Caicedo in the league last season, with Marc Cucurella the next best in a Chelsea shirt with 67.
‘One of the worst bits of punditry I’ve ever seen’
Some supporters on social media were less cryptic with their rebutals towards Scholes for his comments.
‘This is genuinely one of the worst bits of punditry I’ve ever seen. And if Paul Scholes has said this he quite simply doesn’t watch much football,’ one user wrote on X.
Another added: ‘You can’t watch Chelsea’s games, and do even a 30-second stat check, and think Moises Caicedo that was a star for Brighton, and now Chelsea doesn’t “contribute a lot”. The eye test doesn’t lie. The stats don’t lie. He’s wrong’.
Even Caicedo’s fellow teammates have been very vocal with their praise about his consistent levels of performance this campaign.
‘He’s a machine. From the start of the season, he has been our best player,’ Cole Palmer told Sky Sports last month.
‘Wins the ball back all the time. Always 100 per cent everyday. Humble, nice to everyone and everyone loves him.’
