“I want some of whatever magic potion Timothy Chandler’s been drinking” – Sebastian Rode
Eintracht Frankfurt’s USA defender Timothy Chandler has been playing so well in 2020 that even his teammates can’t quite believe it – and are jokingly suggesting sorcery is involved.
The 29-year-old struck a brace as Frankfurt thrashed Augsburg 5-0 on Matchday 21, his third and fourth goals of the calendar year so far helping the Eagles maintain their unbeaten start to the second half of the season with a third league win from four.
“I’m running out of superlatives for him,” said Sebastian Rode after the game. “You have to ask what magic potion he’s been drinking. I’d like to have some of it myself, so that I can score a couple of goals, too!
“But I’m absolutely delighted for him. He’s worked hard for it, was on the bench for a while and now he’s getting his reward.”
Watch: Chandler's last-gasp strike against Fortuna Düsseldorf on Matchday 20
Indeed, nobody in the Frankfurt camp begrudges Chandler his current success after spending the majority of 2018/19 in the treatment room with a serious knee injury, before returning to fitness and having to settle for a place among the substitutes prior to the winter break this term.
His patience and hard graft have paid off and Chandler has now regained his place in the side, starting the team’s last seven Bundesliga outings.
Watch: Chandler on his goalscoring form
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“I don’t normally get more than two goals a season, and I’ve already got four this year!” the 29-time USA international said after the Augsburg victory, referring to his goals against Hoffenheim and Fortuna Düsseldorf.
“Hopefully I can get a couple more as well. Before the game I was joking with the boys that, having already scored twice in 2020, I wasn’t going to get any more this year […] It was the first brace of my career so I’m delighted with the result and with my goals.
“I believe in myself, I’m getting in front of goal a lot and I’m just having fun. I’m really happy things are going so well at the moment.”
As are the potion vendors in Diagon Alley, no doubt.
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