OPINION
Davide Zappacosta hasn’t exactly been blessed with opportunities since he joined Chelsea from Torino at the start of last season, but for the most part he has found himself deputising. Firstly it was for the flying Victor Moses in Antonio Conte’s wing-back system, and now, more often than not, he is behind Cesar Azpilicueta in the pecking order. The frustrating thing for the Italian will be that now, more than ever, there is a real opportunity for him to leapfrog the Spanish international in Maurizio Sarri’s plans. Azpilicueta, despite being captain most of the time, is beginning to look rusty and leggy, and often struggles against the more mobile wingers he faces, whereas Zappacosta is a willing and relentless runner, bombing up and down the touchline all game, but the real problem he faces is a worrying lack of quality when it matters most. What you want from a full-back is a solid defensive option with stamina to burn and a hellish whip of a cross on him. The Italian, unfortunately, just about embodies one and a bit of those attributes, and far too often it his is effectiveness in the two crucial thirds that he underwhelms the most. In the first half against Dynamo Kiev he proved this once again with a disappointing display. If he wants a future at Chelsea, he needs to buck his ideas up quickly.
This is Futbol have gathered some of the best tweets below:
it just really baffles me that Zappacosta gets a game but Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek can't. speechless.
— fourfouroneone (@FourFourOneOne) March 7, 2019
Zappacosta reminding me why I’d forgotten about him ? #CFC
— Harry (@Htg2702) March 7, 2019
https://twitter.com/GubertVan/status/1103749740339085313
Can't blame Zappacosta for being average. Blame whoever had the idea to buy him!
— Daniel (@JT_daniel) March 7, 2019
ngl i forgot about zappacosta
— m ?? (@tlozeIda) March 7, 2019
Zappacosta is horrible
— Fergus (@Fergusfagostine) March 7, 2019
I hate Zappacosta ? #cfc
— Tom Richardson (@tomricho25) March 7, 2019