Chelsea ace Marc Cucurella sends message to Wesley Fofana after Leicester scare
Chelsea took full advantage of a slip-up from Man City to move above their rivals in Welsey Fofana’s return to action as the race for Champions League football heats up.
The Frenchman appeared for Chelsea for the first time this calendar year, playing 73 minutes as the Blues scraped past relegation-bound Leicester City.
Despite the win, Cole Palmer missed a penalty, following a fabulous save from Mads Hermansen, with the England international now on a nine-game drought without a goal or an assist.
Having missed his first effort, Chelsea thought they had won another penalty, after Pedro Neto was tripped by James Justin, but their appeals were waved away by referee Tim Robinson.
Spanish defender, Marc Cucurella scored the games only goal on the hour mark, with the Blues moving above up to fourth in the table after Man City lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest.
Wesley Fofana return a blessing for Chelsea after defensive woes
Having sunk as low as seventh in recent weeks, following a stunning start to the season, Chelsea will hope to resolve their defensive issues with the return of Fofana.
Despite playing at right-back for the Blues against the Foxes, the France international is likely to be moved back to centre-back in the coming weeks.
Fofana has undoubtedly been Levi Colwill’s best partner at the back this season, but the former Leicester man’s injuries have been a major problem for Enzo Maresca.
| 2024/24 Premier League standings | Games played | Goal difference | Points |
| 1. Liverpool | 29 | +42 | 70 |
| 2. Arsenal | 28 | +28 | 55 |
| 3. Nottingham Forest | 28 | +12 | 51 |
| 4. Chelsea | 28 | +17 | 49 |
| 5. Man City | 28 | +15 | 47 |
| 6. Brighton | 28 | +6 | 46 |
Chelsea have conceded more goals than Everton, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace this season, and the revolving door of defensive partners for Colwill has been cited as a factor in the downturn in performances since the turn of the year.
Following the win over Leicester, Fofana posted a series of images of himself in action on Instagram, captioned: “Back on track, what a feeling. Thank you for your unconditional support”.
The defender’s teammate and goal-scorer against the Foxes, Cucurella, then responded simply, saying: “Back”, with a fire emoji.
Chelsea now need a reliable striker with defensive issues sorted
Football Insider Verdict
With Nicolas Jackson sidelined with an injury, the Blues are struggling without the Senegal international.
The former Villareal man was vilified earlier in the season, with his inconsistencies in front of goal a frustration for Chelsea fans.
However, without Jackson, Palmer’s numbers for the Blues have plummeted.
The striker’s movement and link-up play was crucial to the way Chelsea played, as Jackson consistently created space for his teammates, and despite wasting chances, the Senegalese man remains the second-top scorer for the club this season.
Whilst Neto is a smart player, who has shown great versatility, his hold-up play is limited, and the former Wolves man does not enjoy the same on-pitch relationship with Palmer as the former Villareal front-man does.
The summer transfer window beckons, and with it, the Blues will have the opportunity to either find a replacement for Jackson, or a reliable understudy, as the current options look less than impressive.