For the past three years, the general consensus of opinion has been that Lyon got away with daylight robbery the day they persuaded Chelsea to fork out £13.5m for the services of Florent Malouda.

Despite showing some form during the brief tenure of Guus Hiddink at the tail end of last season, the Frenchman has mainly flattered to deceive, with only the occasional flash of brilliance hinting as to why Jose Mourinho chose to bring him to The Bridge.

The turn of the year, however, has finally seen Malouda look the real deal. With Carlo Ancelotti reshaping his Chelsea team to compensate for Didier Drogba’s African Cup of Nations absence, Malouda stepped up to the plate with a series of impressive performances and upon the Ivorian’s subsequent return, has continued to further impress.

Last weekend, Malouda took his game to another level as Chelsea battered West Ham at home, and he now looks a pivotal player in the Blues’ surge for the championship. Here’s a look at some of the factors behind his form…

Consistency of Selection

Prior to the new year, Chelsea played 20 league games, with Malouda a starter in just 9 of them. A myriad of midfield options meant rotation was very much on the cards for Carlo Ancelotti, and resultantly, Malouda’s best run of Premiership games was a mere three starts in succession. Going into January, he had managed just three ninety minute league appearances under the Italian.

Since the new year, the situation has turned on its head. Malouda has started all nine of Chelsea’s 2010 league games, with the four minutes he missed as a result of being substituted on Saturday the only game time he has missed in the league all year. Back in December, the player hinted as to how Ancelotti could get the best out of him, saying:

“I am the kind of player who needs to play – the more I do the more I feel good. I am used to playing 50-60 games every season, so I need to play more and more to be fit and to make a habit of being in the team.”

Adaptability

Having started the season with his beloved diamond formation, Carlo Ancelotti has since acknowledged a lack of attacking width in the Chelsea system, and reacted accordingly by re-introducing wing play into the side. Pre-Christmas, Malouda also added:

“I can play in different positions, I score goals, I give assists. I’m really confident. I know the best days are still to come.”

With the “Christmas Tree” shape adapted in Drogba’s January absence also an option, Chelsea have had a variety of systems this season and Malouda has found himself in a few different positions to date.

A combination of injuries and bans even saw him fill in at left back in the recent Champions League encounter with old boss Mourinho at the San Siro, but as this chalkboard shows (last weekend at home against West Ham on the left wing compared to a place in the middle of the diamond in the season opener versus Hull) Malouda is at his best when allowed to wreak havoc out wide on the left.

Malouda versus Lampard

A look at the winger’s FPL figures in comparison to Frank’s are revealing. Since the turn of the year, their stats are:

Malouda (£7.8m) 4 goals, 4 assists, 8 Bonus Points, 60 FPL Points
Lampard (£13m) 6 goals, 3 assists, 10 Bonus Points, 67 FPL Points.

Significantly though, since Drogba’s return from the ACoN and with Ancelotti now seemingly settled on Malouda wide left, the points are:

Malouda 2 goals, 2 assists, 5 Bonus Points, 34 FPL Points
Lampard 2 goals, 2 assists, 5 Bonus Points, 32 FPL Points.

Lampard’s set piece duties helped reduce the deficit, with one of the goals being a penalty in the recent defeat to Man City.

A look at both player’s goal attempts against West Ham in this chalkboard shows Malouda is getting into better scoring positions than Lampard. Whereas virtually all of Lampard’s shots were from outside the area, the opposite is true of Malouda.

Chelsea are one of ten teams taking part in the upcoming DGW31 and with plenty of FPL managers contemplating Blues players to beef up their squads, Malouda is surely worth a punt. At £7.8m he is hardly budget-busting and bringing him in would perhaps even free up cash for other, far pricier, acquisitions.

Tomorrow’s visit of The Special One and Inter for the Champions League return leg at Stamford Bridge comes at a time when Malouda is, finally, justifying Jose’s decision to buy him. If the winger continues his recent form and helps eliminate Mourinho, the irony will be lost on no one.