Chelsea 4-0 Malmo: Has Thiago Silva done enough to warrant another contract extension at Stamford Bridge?

Chelsea thrashed Malmo 4-0 in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge, but lost striking duo Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner to injuries.

Andreas Christensen opened the scoring, Jorginho scored twice from the spot and substitute Kai Havertz dinked the goalkeeper in what was a one sided encounter at Stamford Bridge.

Injuries to Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner will concern manager Thomas Tuchel but in defence, Brazilian defender Thiago Silva aged 37 was one of the stand out performers.

The former PSG man has been a breath of fresh air and his experience and form has been the foundation on which Thomas Tuchel has built his team.

So with that in mind, here are five reasons why he could stay at Stamford Bridge beyond the one-year extension he signed in the summer.

Best form of his life

Chelsea’s Brazilian defender Thiago Silva will be 38 next September ,but he is playing the best football of his career and looks to be enjoying life in London.

When Frank Lampard signed Silva, who PSG deemed surplus to requirements, it was only to provide leadership and experience, but he has rolled back the years and is producing  man-of-match performances every time he is on the pitch.

Last season, he played 23 league games and was instrumental as the Blues won the Champions League.

He has started this season in frightening form, with five league games and three Champions League outings, not bad for a 37-year-old.

Defying the odds

Thiago Silva is a brilliant example that good players, regardless of their age, can still compete consistently in tough places like the Premier League and Champions League if they look after their body.

John Terry left Chelsea at 36, Vincent Kompany left Manchester City at 33 and Rio Ferdinand left Manchester United at 35, but Silva has shown no signs of slowing down.

His exemplary performance against Malmo points to man looking to extend his time at Stamford Bridge beyond this season.

Against the Swedes, he was measured, assured and looked the sharpest of a star-studded defence line that included Antonio Rudiger and the evergreen Cesar Azpilicueta.

He read the game well and his passing was incisive to keep his side on the front foot all game.

Good value for money

Thiago Silva is reported to be on £100,000 per week, and that is a bargain for a defender who joined the club on a free transfer and helped win the Champions League.

Prior to his arrival, Chelsea had conceded the most goals of all the top ten teams in the Premier League but the Blues have now tightened up at the back.

Last season, they had the second-best defence in the league, only behind eventual winners Manchester City.

They also conceded the fewest goals en route to winning the Champions League trophy in Porto.

Valuable experience

If Chelsea let Thiago Silva go, not many defenders out there can say they have played more than 90 games for their country or have more than 400 club games for teams like AC Milan and PSG.

He has also won the French League and is a Champions League winner with Chelsea.

The Blues are already in talks to extend Antonio Rudiger’s contract and reports say they are keeping tabs on Seville’s Jules Kounde.

If they do sign the French defender, he will benefit from playing alongside a veteran like Silva just like Andreas Christensen has since last season.

The fans adore him

Thiago Silva’s wife has become a social media star due to her passionate support of her husband’s team.

She is constantly uploading pictures of Silva and occasionally responds to fans who reach out to her.

Silva himself has shown enough on the pitch to suggest that he is happy with life at Chelsea and fans adore him.