John Stones vs. Kurt Zouma: Breaking Down the Battle of Central Defenders
Had things gone to plan for Chelsea this summer, we could be talking about John Stones and Kurt Zouma playing as defensive partners against Everton at Goodison Park this weekend.
As it stands, though, the defenders are set to come up against each other, with Stones in a different shade of blue to his opposite number.
The Englishman is expected to start for Everton, while Zouma has every chance of keeping his place in the Chelsea lineup ahead of Gary Cahill.
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Should they come face-to-face during Saturday's encounter, it's going to make for interesting viewing. Not because Stones was ever threatening to usurp Zouma in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, but more because of the qualities they share, or don't, as is the case.
Stones and Zouma are chalk and cheese when it comes to their individual attributes, so does that mean they would make for the perfect defensive partnership? Would Stones' mooted arrival at Chelsea, as noted by outlets such as ESPN FC, have impacted Zouma's development? Who is the better player?
Let's assess both players ahead of this weekend's showdown.
Style
The only similarity between Stones and Zouma is that they're defenders. That's where the comparison between the players ends.
Stones is a physically strong opponent for whoever comes up against him, but it's his ability to read the game and pass the ball out of defence that sets him apart from most defenders at the same stage of their careers. In that regard, he's more Rio Ferdinand than John Terry.
Stones can tackle and has sound positional sense, but overall he's more of a footballer, which is probably why he looks comfortable alongside the more brutal Phil Jagielka at Everton.
When we think of Zouma, it's quite the opposite.
The Frenchman has work to do if he's to become an elite player, but that doesn't mean he isn't well on the road to becoming one.
We've seen in the beginning stages of his Chelsea career what Zouma offers. If we're looking for direct comparisons with players in the present, he has more than a resemblance to Terry, just in terms of his pace. Zouma has yet to develop the same tactical nous as his captain—which is to be expected for any 20-year-old—although his application is reminiscent of when Terry first came onto the scene with Chelsea.
Despite his youth, Terry was strong and a real presence in the air at both ends of the pitch. His 39 career goals for his club more than allude to that fact.
Being a work in progress, Zouma hasn't quite reached those levels yet. We've seen how strong he can be, while the development of his all-round game is coming along under Jose Mourinho's guidance.
It means that his biggest assets now are his pace—a major factor in his incredible rate of recovery—and the imposing frame that has allowed him to bolster Chelsea's midfield at times, too.
Who is the better player?
It really depends on how you define player—as an overall footballer or defender.
Considering the former, Stones wins the argument. He's better in possession than Zouma, and his deployment at right-back at times for Everton points to the fact that his ability as a footballer is equal to what he offers as a defender.
Playing as right-back is more demanding in that sense than it is when playing in central defence. There's a real need to get forward and join attacks. To do that effectively, every player needs to feel comfortable in possession and be capable of beating his opposite number.
Stones is more cultured than Zouma, but when we consider his defensive capabilities, he loses out to Chelsea's Frenchman.
Zouma is what managers crave in defenders, especially a manager like Mourinho.
The Chelsea boss wants to see brute force so his team can overwhelm the opponent. Mourinho wants the opposition striker bullied out of matches, struck by the fear of the man he is facing. Zouma can do that already, and as he matures that will become ever more present in his game.
Defensively, Zouma offers that brick-wall effect, the notion that not much is going to be getting through, which is where Stones isn't quite as refined.
Friend or foe?
In the short term, Stones and Zouma will do well to consider themselves anything but friends. They're defensive rivals, after all.
The real issue moving forward, though, is what any further attempts to sign Stones could mean for Zouma.
Should Chelsea continue their pursuit of the Everton man, Zouma shouldn't be concerned. Both players are young, and given their attributes, we're more likely to see them as partners in a Chelsea defence than we are with one being preferred over the other.
Given Everton's stance on Stones' transfer, it's fanciful to be talking in such terms right now, but Zouma and Stones have the look of a defensive partnership, and a solid one at that.
They would need to achieve plenty to be regarded in the same bracket, although they have the potential to rival what Terry and Ricardo Carvalho gave Mourinho in his first spell as Chelsea boss.
It would be the beauty and the beast, the perfect setup for any successful defensive partnership, as in that Terry-Carvalho combination.
When Saturday comes, though, all that talk will be left to one side. The focus for Stones and Zouma will be on keeping a clean sheet at their ends of the pitch.
Predicting the future can wait—for now.
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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