1 Chelsea Player Whose FIFA 16 Stats Underestimate Him
Hands up if your immediate response to Chelsea signing Kenedy this summer was "Who?"
Yep, there are a few we can see there, including this writer's. And, indeed, it seems the developers at EA Sports were also quick to underestimate Chelsea's Brazilian when they programmed his stats.
Kenedy is one of the weakest players in Chelsea's squad for FIFA 16, which is surprising given what we've seen in his first few performances for the club.
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Even compared to the likes of Bertrand Traore—a player further down the Stamford Bridge pecking order—the 19-year-old comes out second best. He has a lower attacker rating, creator rating and also in categories such as defence and beast mode.
Even when it comes to his physical attributes, Kenedy is ranked lower than Traore. Again, that comes as a surprise given his stocky frame.
What does it matter? In the real world, very little. We're talking about a game here, after all.
But here's the thing, impressions count for plenty. Whether that's in reality or a virtual world, and Kenedy's standing isn't one that befits a player who is set to make a big impression this season in west London.
Kenedy has already shown us his wares in this opening few weeks of the season.
From an impressive cameo against Crystal Palace, he was one of the star men for Chelsea as they cruised to a 4-1 win over Walsall recently.
In that Capital One Cup fixture, he may have been facing League 1 opponents, but Kenedy's performance was still encouraging.
| Kenedy | Traore | |
| Attacker rating | 62 | 75 |
| Creator rating | 45 | 71 |
| Defender rating | 25 | 38 |
| Beast rating | 79 | 82 |
| Header rating | 72 | 67 |
| Total stats | 328 | 413 |
We've seen too many young hopefuls struggle against lower-league teams in the past. There have been two factors which have commonly influenced that, those being a lack of application or physicality to deal with being roughed up.
The latter is a sad reality many youngsters have to deal with, whether that be at the highest level or lower down the league pyramid.
And for those who come through it, it's usually a good barometer for what we can expect as their career develops.
The Walsall defenders couldn't get near Kenedy at the Banks's Stadium, which meant any physical tactics were lost in the game.
It became a case of one versus one and whether or not his opposite number in defence had enough nous to contain him.
One goal and one assist later, we got our answer.
Kenedy's emotional goal celebration signaled to us just how he had approached the game. It was his chance to make an impression on Jose Mourinho, which he wasn't going to waste.
Scoring Chelsea's third after some exceptional link-up play with Ruben Loftus-Cheek, he dropped to his knees overcome by the achievement of scoring that milestone first goal in English football.
He isn't going to stop there, either. Everything about his display that night suggested there is more to come.
As much as we learned plenty as to his ability as a footballer, the way in which he conducted himself against Walsall confirmed his character.
Kenedy harassed the Saddlers' back four to steal possession before calmly picking out Ramires to open the scoring in the first half.
With so much experience around him, he wasn't afraid of taking the responsibility, stepping up to make things happen.
It's that approach—his hunger alongside his talent—that changes games; it influences seasons and wins trophies.
Mourinho had Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa to do that for him as the Blues cantered to the Premier League title last season. If Chelsea are going to develop into a team capable of achieving similar success year on year, they need a few more players capable of that.
It's about being a game-changer and in the early spells of his Chelsea career, Kenedy has shown he has that ability.
This is where it gets encouraging for Chelsea. Despite their poor form currently, we're witnessing the evolution of Mourinho's team continuing.
The process started when he returned to the club in 2013 and, after a trophyless first season back, last year's title success meant we got carried away.
Chelsea's success left the impression they were the finished article, which they very clearly are not.
Regardless of how this season ends, their struggles in the present have shown us that. They remain inconsistent and lack character at key moments.
It's a strange description for a Mourinho team, but Chelsea can be easy to beat. We've seen it enough already in 2015/16 against Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Everton and Porto.
With Kenedy emerging, the transformations are happening. And with others such as his FIFA 16 superior Traore, there's an expectation of something different approaching on the horizon.
When Chelsea are lagging well off the pace, sitting 14th in the Premier League after close to a quarter of the season, it's easy to suggest otherwise.
We can write off the potential, we can underestimate them. But those who will, do so at their own peril.
FIFA 16 is just a game, but the statistics which drive it show where players stand and they often aren't that far off.
Radamel Falcao has been downgraded, for instance, while Chelsea's Hazard is among the best and most skillful players to operate.
Football isn't all about the big names, though. Chelsea are finding that out this season, with a team full of stars failing them up to this point.
The best moments, those that have captured the imagination, have come from unsuspecting areas. We've witnessed Loftus-Cheek continue to ease his way into the first team and now Kenedy is joining him.
From nowhere, the Brazilian has leap-frogged some better-known names from the Chelsea youth system and Mourinho has reacted to what he can offer.
The manager will do well to continue recognising his attributes, and if he does, it shouldn't be too long before the EA Sports boffins and the rest of the world follow suit.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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