Mamadou Sarr enjoyed a dream full debut for Chelsea, anchoring a dominant 4-0 FA Cup fourth-round replay win over Hull City at the MKM Stadium.
Recently recalled from his loan at Strasbourg, the young centre-back partnered Wesley Fofana and stayed on for the entire 90 minutes, helping deliver one of Chelsea’s most assured defensive performances of the season.
Sarr’s composure on the ball stood out as he set a new benchmark for Chelsea defenders this campaign. FotMob data shows he completed 101 of 103 passes, a remarkable 98% accuracy from a defender attempting at least 60 passes in a match, the best single-game figure by a Blues centre-back in 2026. He was heavily involved in Chelsea’s build-up with 118 touches and even created a chance going forward.
Defensively, Sarr contributed one tackle, two blocks, six recoveries, four clearances and three headed clearances, while winning four of his seven duels.
On a night when Pedro Neto’s hat-trick stole most of the headlines, Sarr’s calm authority at the back offered Chelsea exactly the stability they have been missing, especially with Fofana carefully managing ongoing fitness issues.
His performance suggests Chelsea may have found a reliable new option at the heart of their defence just when they needed it most.
