Cesc Fabregas’ AS Monaco debut shows he could still do a job for Chelsea

When Cesc Fabregas left Chelsea, people understood his decision.

The Catalan midfielder had been a peripheral figure during his final days at Chelsea as Italian midfielder Jorginho made the deep-lying playmaker position his own. Manager Maurizio Sarri made it clear quite early in the season that he preferred on-loan midfielder Mateo Kovacic to Fabregas, and despite impressing in his rare appearances for the Blues this term, his decision to leave was essentially made for him. This week, Fabregas reunited with his former Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry at Ligue 1 club AS Monaco, where Henry is currently fighting to save the side from relegation. He made his debut at the weekend against Marseille, in a match that ended 1-1. Despite their inability to find a winner in the game, one positive from the game for Monaco was the performance of their new recruit who - despite lacking the pace of his earlier days - showed that his passing and his football brain remain as sharp as ever. https://twitter.com/BTLComps/status/1084596407753940992 His performance showed not only that he retains his eye for a pass, as he kept Monaco ticking over throughout, plugging holes and picking up loose balls throughout, but also that his acquisition may well have been a masterstroke from Henry. On the pitch at the Stade Velodrome, Fabregas assumed the role of leader to the young Monaco side, regularly encouraging his teammates and pushing them on. It is certainly a role that he could have performed at Chelsea, and it's difficult to understand why Maurizio Sarri wasn't particularly keen on the idea.