With Chelsea turning on the heat in all competitions now, there is a certain sense of confidence and buzz around the squad.
Every player wants to go out there and play. Every player wants to contribute. But at the end of the day, only XI can start the match.
The whole squad trains hard week in and week out but the harsh reality is that a similar crop of XI ends up starting more often than not.
One such player at Chelsea who will be in the face of this harsh reality sooner rather than later is Willian.
Eden Hazard has completed his recovery from an injury that kept him out for the start of the season. Willian benefitted most from that as he started almost every game for Chelsea so far.
But with Pedro coming back to form and Hazard looking irresistible the onus is on Willian.
The Brazilian did not grab his chance with both hands as he failed to put up a string of noteworthy performances.
He was average in the early games. That being said, the former Shakhtar Donetsk winger is now turning on the heat.
He scored with an absolute cracker of a hit for Brazil on international duty. He then put up an impressive display against Azerbaijani debutants Qarabag FK in Chelsea’s UEFA Champions League opener.
He continuously stretched the defence and troubled the defenders often leaving them flat-footed.
Despite that, the fact that he played the whole 90 minutes as Hazard was brought on for Pedro early in the 2nd half is an indication that Pedro and Hazard may grab the starting spots against Arsenal.
Willian might be asked to come off the bench to make an impact if needed but that will not be enough for the Brazilian over the course of the season.
Agreed that it is a long season and all players will get their chances but these are the kinds of big games that footballers relish being involved in and Willian could not have done more to secure a spot in the London derby.
His hard working nature, however, will mean that the 29-year-old continues to fight for his place and try to impress the boss in training.
The Brazilian needs to develop a more consistent edge to his game if he has to be continuously picked by Chelsea in their starting lineup.
He is erratic at times and that does not work in his favour. Undoubtedly one of the most talented wingers around and literally unstoppable on his day, he has to make sure his day comes more often than it does currently.
