Billy Gilmour hailed by Chelsea legend after Champions League performance
Chelsea faced Russian side FC Krasnodar on Matchday 6 of the UEFA Champions League. The two sides shared the spoils after Jorginho's first-half penalty canceled out Remy Cabella's opener.
Both Chelsea and Krasnodar had already finalized their positions on the group table as the Blues finished at the top while their Russian opponents finished in third place, qualifying for the Europa League knockout stages.
Chelsea fielded a much-weakened side as Frank Lampard made ten changes to the team that beat Leeds United at the weekend. The Blues manager is preparing for a tough run of fixtures during the holiday period.
According to former Chelsea player Joe Cole, one player that caught the eye on the night was youngster Billy Gilmour.
The 19-year-old was out for a lengthy period with a knee injury, and Krasnodar was the perfect opportunity to get some game-time under his belt.
Gilmour completed 90 minutes against the Russian side and stood out as one of Chelsea's best players on the night.
Joe Cole told BT Sport:
"I think there were some positives. I think Billy GIlmour was excellent and he got 90 minutes under his belt. I thought he was very good. I thought he was one of the shining lights… It would’ve killed him being injured because he’s one of them that loves the game. He’s competitive, he has a lovely awareness of what’s around. He’s such a good player."
Billy Gilmour helped control the tempo of the game on Tuesday night as he played alongside Jorginho in Chelsea's midfield. The Scottish youngster did his best to get forward with the ball, showing great movement and dribbling abilities as he ran things from the midfield.
This was a very encouraging performance from the youngster as he looks to become a regular part of Frank Lampard's team.
Breaking into the Chelsea side may be difficult for Billy Gilmour
Chelsea have been flying high this season. Frank Lampard's men currently sit third on the Premier League table and are on a 17-game unbeaten streak in all competitions.
The London giants will travel to Everton this weekend to start a season-defining run of fixtures over the festive period.
Frank Lampard, however, will be in a buoyant mood as his Chelsea side have only gone from strength to strength and look like they will be challenging for titles sooner rather than later.