Leicester almost secured a result against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
An unlikely hero in Marc Cucurella saved the Blues with a driven shot in the 60th minute, which flew beyond Mads Hermansen and into the bottom right corner.
A passionate celebration by Enzo Maresca after the final whistle showed just how much these three points mean to Chelsea – who now sit fourth in the Premier League.
Despite the result leaving Leicester in the relegation zone, Ruud van Nistelrooy was pleased by the effort on show from his players, and also made an interesting comment about the winning goal in his post-match interview.
Ruud van Nistelrooy suggests he was surprised to see Marc Cucurella score from distance
The Dutchman admitted that he initially felt no fear over seeing the Spain international take a shot at Hermansen’s goal from distance – and was disappointed to see the ball nestle into the back of the net.
Van Nistelrooy told Sky Sports: “He had time to move forward with the ball. I wasn’t really worried about the shot from the side. He hits it well. Sad to see that go in.”
Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images
Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images
Seemingly, the Leicester backline felt the same way, as Cucurella, who Kai Havertz called “crazy”, was given an age of time to line up his shot from roughly 25 yards out – the Foxes surely regretted underestimating the Spaniard just seconds later.
Marc Cucurella has grasped his second chance at Chelsea with both hands
Not long ago, Chelsea fans were actually booing the 26-year-old.
Chelsea even considered selling Cucurella before Maresca changed his mind, and the man from Alella has truly repaid the Italian’s faith.
Goals in back-to-back Premier League matches for Marc Cucurella 🐧#CHELEI pic.twitter.com/aDabXz4HNV
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 9, 2025
Not only did the Spaniard secure three points against Leicester, but he also scored the winner in the recent 2-1 victory over Brentford at Stamford Bridge, where again, he netted a vital goal in the 3-1 win over Wolves.
Cucurella has certainly stepped up for Chelsea this season – to say the least.