Chelsea weren’t great in attack in yesterday’s win over Burnley, but they got the job done.
Maresca praises Cucurella contribution
Marc Cucurella pleads in the rain.
Marc Cucurella pleads in the rain. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
A huge part of the credit has to go to Marc Cucurella. The first goal in the match changed the game, with the Blues having been very much on the back foot before that. The opener came thanks in large part to Cucurella, who made his customary run into the channel and onto the opposition back line, despite his nominal starting position as a left back.
He brought the ball down under pressure, drew in defenders and then laid it off to Jamie Gittens, who crossed for the goal. Asked about the Spaniard’s performance, Maresca was full of praise:
“Yeah, absolutely [it was satisfying to see Cucurella involved]. I think also the first goal against Wolves, if you remember, Cucu was inside the box when we scored that goal, today again,” the manager noted.
“It’s part of the game, it’s part of the plan. Again, sometimes we use the full-back in that way, sometimes in a different way, but the important thing is that they are all aware of what they have to do.”
Maresca denied Cucurella getting into the box was just a question of “creating chaos,” claiming it was more complex than that:
“No, we try to bring as much players we can bring inside the box, because we know that when you have just one or two players inside the box to complete, but when you fill the box with five or six players, probably you have more chances to score.”
In other Burnley win news…
Chelsea boss Maresca also defended his team’s attacking patterns when questioned about them, claiming he was happy to spread the goals around rather than worrying about his strikers scoring.
Maresca was delighted by the win and his team’s current form, as you’d expect. But he also couldn’t resist returning to one of his favourite topics – teams playing a back four or a back five.
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