Chelsea's Marc Cucurella has hailed the "patience" of teammates following their narrow 1-0 triumph over Leicester at Stamford Bridge.
The Foxes, typically employing a back four under manager Ruud van Nistelrooy this season, threw a curveball by opting for a five-man defence in west London, prompting a tactical reshuffle from the Blues. Enzo Maresca's men found it tough to carve out opportunities, much to the frustration of the Chelsea faithful who have been critical of the head coach's tactics of late.
It was Cucurella who eventually broke the deadlock, surging from left-back to hammer home from distance, securing a win that was anything but straightforward. “It was difficult because we prepared for the game in a certain way and then Leicester came here and set up with a different approach,” the Spain international said on his club’s website.
“So we had to adjust and maybe that took us a little bit of time, because they had a lot of players behind the ball to make things difficult for us. We had to remain patient, not rush things and trust that what we had planned would eventually come good. In the second half we did that and managed to get the goal we needed.
“Then it was a case of defending well and being solid and I thought the entire team did that very well.”
Chelsea's head coach Maresca expressed his relief after the team's crucial victory over Leicester, which propelled them above Manchester City into the top four. The win was particularly satisfying for Maresca, who had to adapt his strategy at the last minute due to an unexpected formation change by Van Nistelrooy's side.
“Very happy,” he said of the win, which was only Chelsea’s fourth in their last 12 league games. “The main reason is because when we prepare a game we watch as many games as possible, we watched every game under Ruud. They play always a line of four.
“They arrive here (with) a line of five and change completely their plan. So all the training you have done and preparation for the game, they go in the rubbish.
“I don’t watch warm-ups. Sometimes (a team) will warm-up with a line of four then play a line of five. My granddad did exactly the same."
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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