Troy Deeney has admitted he’s been surprised by Marc Cucurella and revealed he didn’t think the Spain international was going to be that good.
Cucurella was once again brilliant as Chelsea turned in arguably their best performance of the season with a 3-0 win against Aston Villa.
The Blues recorded a first Premier League clean sheet at Stamford Bridge since May, whilst Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer all found the back of the net.
Deeney surprised by Cucurella
Cucurella arrived from Brighton in 2022 in a big money move worth £63m and initially struggled at the club, whilst he was also booed by some Chelsea supporters.
Last season he showed signs of improvement, but it wasn’t until the final six games of the campaign where Mauricio Pochettino took the decision to invert him into midfield that he came alive.
The Spaniard finished the season brilliantly and then shone for Spain as they won Euro 2024, with the 26-year-old assisting the winning goal.
Marc Cucurella warms up in the Conference League. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)
Cucurella has been brilliant for Chelsea this season. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)
Cucurella has established himself as one of Chelsea’s most important players and his performances this season have been brilliant, and Jason Cundy believes he’s one of the first names on the team sheet.
He spoke about how special it was to him to have the fans chant his name and his turn around in fortunes has been beyond what anyone would have expected.
Deeney admitted the former Brighton man has taken him by surprise and revealed he didn’t expect him to be that good.
“He has surprised me,” Deeney wrote on BBC Sport.
“I didn’t think he was going to be that good. I also thought: Why did Chelsea buy him when they had Ben Chilwell? But clearly they know more than me and they showed what they can do. He’s doing really well.”
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Enzo Maresca after Chelsea's win against Aston Villa (Photo by: Chris Lee - Chelsea FC)
Jason Cundy at Stamford Bridge.
Wesley Fofana applauds the fans.
Cucurella is Chelsea’s first choice left back and is vital to how the Blues play under Enzo Maresca, and it’s brilliant to see him showing his quality and how good a player he is.
The Spaniard’s story is a great example of why fans shouldn’t give up on players so quickly because sometimes it can take a bit of time to find your feet in new surroundings.