Chelsea had a very good end to the season. Despite staying inconsistent throughout the season The Blues ended the season on a good note. They have managed to win all of their last 5 premier league matches. Chelsea have finished 6th in the league which has boosted their chances of playing in Europa league. If not Europa league, the blues are guaranteed to play in the Conference league. In their last match the London side defeated Bournemouth to secure all three points. Marc Cucurella who started as a left back had an incredible performance which makes him deserving candidate as a regular starter next season.
Chelsea didn’t met the expectations they had this season. If it was not for the good end, they would have missed a spot in europe. Mauricio Pochettino’s future at Chelsea also seems uncertain with club already making decesion about selling most of their players. The Blues were also unlucky due to the amount of first choice players injured. Yet they have managed to end the season remarkably good. On the final day of the season Chelsea defeated Bournemouth by 2-1 and had a sweet ending. Next season The blues will hope to challenge for the title or atleast secure top 4 and make their way bach in Champions League.
Cucurella’s turn around
Marc Cucurella joined Chelsea from Brighton in 2022. The Spanish international costed Chelsea more than £60 million. Ever since his arrival he has failed to make a mark and has been trolled by many. Cucurella also suffered from some injuries and illness. Chelsea fans were very upset with him and even booed him. Pochettino too didn’t trust Cucurella fully. In this season Pochettino used Levi Colwill who is centre back as left back over Cucurella.
In a match against Asto Villa, Pochettino allowed Cucurella to move forward and create a overload in midfield. The spanish full back has found his form ever since that match and has been Pochettino’s regular starter ever since. Chelsea have a perfect record in their last 5 matches grabbing very crucial 15 points.
Why Cucurella deserves to be regular starter next season
Cucurella has played 21 Premier League matches this season. Except him Levi Colwill and Ben Chilwell have played the role of left back this season. Levi Colwill however is a centre back and may stick to his preferred position next season. Cucurella has been the most impactful player out of those. His performance against Bournemouth was absolutely amazing.
According to Sofascore, the Spanish full back received the rating of 7.4/10. Cucurella put on a defensive masterclass. He managed to win 10/13 ground duels and 1/1 ariel duel. Along with 6 tackles he made 1 interception and 1 clearance. Cucurella was also dribbled past only 1 time throughout the game. He also had 88% accuracy in passing and made 1 key pass.
His stats has been superior in comparison to Ben Chilwell. Chilwell only played 13 premier league matches this season due to injury but will be back next season. However Pochettino should stick with Cucurella as he is providing better performances than English international.
Cucurella vs Chilwell this season
Cucurella has made 21 appearances while Chilwell has made 13 appearances in Premier league this season. The overall rating of Cucurella is slightly better than Chilwell. Cucurella has 6.99 while Chilwell has 6.87 overall. However when it comes to duels Cucurella stands above Chilwell. Cucurella has won 60% of ground duels and 59% of ariel duels. Chilwell falling short has won 53% ground duels and only 44% ariel duels. Cucurella also has better stats when it comes to defending. The spanish international has 3.0 tackles and 1.0 interceptions per game. Chilwell has only 1.2 tackles and 0.2 interceptions per game. Cucurella leads the race in passing accuracy too with 87% whilst Chilwell has 80% accuracy. All of the stats are according to Sofascore. These stats are enough to justify why Cucurella deserves to be regular starter.
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