"It's definitely difficult for him, but I think it's normal," Chelsea boss Tuchel said of Ben Chiwell last month. Chelsea were so successful in the Champions League in May that Ben Chivale played 90 minutes, and despite Luke Shaw's good performance at Manchester United, he is still considered England's top choice for Euro 2020. However, Ben Chivale did not play a minute for England at Euro 2020 and Southgate preferred Shaw and therefore placed Trippier, who came from left-back, on the right. Predictably, this rejection was a major blow to his confidence. In addition, even after playing zero minutes for England all summer, Ben Chivall returned to Chelsea later than anyone else after the Three Lions advanced to the final, during which time he found Marcos Alonso once again ahead of him in the picks.
The Spaniard quickly won the main position after Tuchel took over in January, starting eight of his 11 league games in the 2020-21 season after the German replaced Lampard to take charge of Stamford Bridge in January. Still, by the end of the season, Ben Chivale was starting as a left-back, so for the 24-year-old it was a bit of déjà vu. After initially struggling to secure his place in the Blues, he had to do so again to replace Alonso as the first option, and finally struggled in the opening 45 minutes of Chelsea's 1-0 loss to Juventus at the end of September. Since then, Ben Chivall has firmly held Chelsea's starting position.
Last weekend, in Chelsea's 3-0 win over Newcastle United, Ben Chivall played his fourth league game of the season as a starter, having played well in all five of his most recent starts for the team, with the Blues winning all five. Back last season, Ben Chivall also scored in four consecutive league games, becoming the first England player to do so for Chelsea since Lampard in 2013. Considering the lack of playing time last season, this was a good result for the left-back. This season, Ben Chivale has scored in league wins over Southampton, Brentford and Norwich, meaning he has equalled the total of 27 league games last season.
Ben Chivale is not only adamant that he should be the club's first choice again, but also for the national team. Luke Shaw has not been outstanding at United this season, and while Southgate believes United should retain his place in England, it is a bit unreasonable to ignore Ben Chiwell's performance at this stage, as he has shined in the West London team's title race. Earlier this month, England beat Andorra 5-0 easily, he was brilliant, scoring in the first half, and a few days later, Shaw gave his opponent a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Hungary, and Ben Chivall will no doubt feel that he has done enough to become England's top left-back again.
After spending £45m on the Blues' move from Leicester City to Stamford Bridge last summer, there may have been fears that Ben Chiwell would be proven a costly mistake by West London, but with his threats at the edge of the opposition penalty area and his outstanding performance in the defensive duty, those concerns have subsided in recent weeks. Taking back the starting spot from Alonso for the second time this year shows Ben Chivale's incredible mental tenacity, and it was this quality that made his game even more exciting, which, combined with his form after returning to the team, will play a key role in helping him regain his place in England from Luke Shaw and help the Blues get more trophies.