Axel Disasi is currently on loan at West Ham, and while he isn’t frequently in the spotlight, the Chelsea defender has shown notable skills in one important area.
Although Disasi was excluded from Chelsea’s plans for the upcoming 2025/26 season, it’s premature to dismiss his future at the club.
His loan deal with West Ham does not include an option to buy. A solid performance there could easily bring him back into the mix at Stamford Bridge.
Mamadou Sarr has returned from his loan looking sharp, and Levi Colwill is expected to be back fit soon, but Disasi has been impressing at the London Stadium.
Disasi excelling in long-ball accuracy compared to Chelsea’s defenders
Photo by James Fearn/Getty Images
In his first two Premier League games for West Ham, Disasi successfully completed seven out of 11 long-ball attempts, resulting in a success rate of 63.6%.
This figure is significantly higher than the averages for defenders currently at Chelsea. Trevoh Chalobah stands at 38.8%, Wesley Fofana at 46.3%, and Mamadou Sarr, who recently debuted, is at 60%.
This is a large improvement from Disasi’s first season with Chelsea, where he managed around 44%. He has seen nearly a 20% increase since joining West Ham.
However, it’s important to note that this data comes from a small sample size—just two matches—so it’s too early for firm conclusions.
Long-ball accuracy not prioritized by Liam Rosenior
Rosenior does not emphasize long-ball accuracy from his center-backs. His strategy involves pushing the opposition back into Chelsea’s half before progressing the play.
During his time at Strasbourg, Rosenior’s defenders ranked low in Europe for long passes, a trend he has continued at Chelsea, often using Robert Sanchez as an additional outfield player.
This method invites pressure, sometimes riskily, and focuses on finding midfield options. Even though Disasi currently shows a 63.6% success rate with long balls at West Ham, this skill isn’t a major requirement in Chelsea’s system under Rosenior.