Analysis: How Roma’s Almost Magical 2016/2017 Campaign Propelled Emerson to Chelsea

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Emerson Palmieri has proved to be a reliable and serviceable defender for Chelsea over the last few seasons. The 26-year old is a versatile left-sided defender who can be effectively used as a wing-back and full-back, although his ability to read the game and pick out a pass means that he’s also capable of playing in more advanced roles as well.

These are some of the primary reasons why in January 2018 Chelsea spent 20 million euros to permanently sign Emerson from Italian side AS Roma on a four-and-half-year deal. This move was completed during Antonio Conte’s reign as the official Chelsea manager and the new acquisition at left-back was supposed to give the Blues additional sharpness and depth in a key area. When one takes a closer look at Emerson’s form in his second full season at the Italian capital, it becomes crystal clear why Conte wanted to sign the Brazil-born Italian international.

Chelsea, who have one of the best scouting networks in Europe, will have been studying Emerson for a while, as well as combining this with analytics tools to compare his stats and performances against other players to navigate through a wide range of options in the market. This is not dissimilar to the growth of sites in other industries such as airplane flights, insurance and online casinos. For example, there are guides for online gambling that list the best gambling bonuses, with some offering a long list of different free spin bonus offers to help people get more for their money – this article tells you all you need to know. These sites across the different industries help give power to the consumer by ensuring they all have the necessary information when making a decision.

Emerson joined Roma back in 2015 from former Serie A side Palermo and he spent his first campaign with the Giallorossi as a second choice option at left-back. However, he managed to cement himself as the starting left-back for the team during the following season which proved to be one of the most successful ones in Roma’s recent history, despite not winning any trophies. The defender was part of a formidable backline that included his Chelsea teammate Antonio Rudiger.

Roma entered that remarkable 2016/2017 season as one of the favourites for the title in Serie A, despite last winning the big trophy all the way back in 2001. Nevertheless, Roma were a formidable side with plenty of quality players in pretty much all positions, including the legendary Francesco Totti, who was playing in what turned out to be his last season wearing the Roma shirt.

Even though the 2016/2017 season started somewhat slowly for the Giallorossi, they managed to maintain their position of second in the league from matchday eight all the way up to the very last game. Emerson Palmieri played a pivotal role in that squad, which boasted an incredibly effective goalscoring record that was helped by the full-back’s quality on the left side of the pitch.

Head coach Luciano Spalletti used Emerson’s speed and skill to a great extent as Roma finished the season with 90 goals, with only Napoli scoring more (94). Palmieri was often used behind either Diego Perotti or Stephan El Sharaawy who were deployed further forward on the left side, although Emerson was capable of playing as a left midfielder too.

Roma finished the season just four points behind champions Juventus and Emerson spent half of the following campaign in the Italian capital before joining Chelsea in the January transfer window. Since moving to the Premier League club, the defender has faced stiff competition in the form of Marcos Alonso, who has been seen as the stronger option defensively. Despite this, Palmieri was still included in Italy’s squad for Euro 2020 by manager Roberto Mancini.

Regardless of whether Emerson stays at Chelsea for the long term, he possesses the required skill to be a quality left-back as he’s entering his prime as a professional footballer.