The Chelsea defence has faced a lot of criticism this campaign as they failed to see the team over the finish line on multiple occasions. The Blues have dropped a total of 17 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season. Even more surprisingly, 15 of those came while playing at Stamford Bridge.
The ACL injury of Levi Colwill looks to have taken a toll on the Blues’ defensive structure. The likes Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Josh Acheampong and Jorrel Hato have failed to perform at the highest level consistently.
This has resulted in an underwhelming campaign. This was also a major reason for the board’s decision to part ways with Enzo Maresca. It is worth pointing out though that the Italian had asked for a centre-back after Colwill got injured. That request was not met.
Despite the Blues’ underperforming defence this season, one player has performed with consistency. That is Marc Cucurella, who made 35 appearances for the Blues in all competitions this season.
Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella praised as ‘toughest’ by Michael Olise
Cucurella has already earned praises from a lot of players from rival clubs for his displays with both club and country. Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise became the latest player to laud the left-back.
According to One football, Olise said: “I’ve faced a lot of top players over the years, but the toughest has to be Marc Cucurella.
“I’ve played against him a couple of times, and trust me, it’s never easy.”
Olise and Cucurella faced off during Chelsea’s Champions League encounter at the Allianz Arena in September last year. The Bavarians won the game 3-1. Once again, it was a result of the Blues’ below-par defensive performance.
The 24-year-old Frenchman also played against Cucurella during his time with Crystal Palace in the Premier League, where the Spaniard got the better of Olise most of the time.
Cucurella has won 93 duels in the league this season while completing 20 interceptions. The 24-year-old, at the same time, has provided three assists and scored once in all competitions for the Blues this season.
The Spaniard was taken off at half-time during the game against Leeds United because of a hamstring injury. It has given rise to concerns amongst the Stamford Bridge faithful. They would want one of their top performers to be fit as soon as possible. They have games against Arsenal and Aston Villa at the beginning of March. Unfortunately, that feels unlikely now.
