Marc Cucurella sends Chelsea message as stunning stats emerge, Chalobah responds
Marc Cucurella was an unexpected hero as Chelsea stuttered past Leicester City to move back into the top four of the Premier League.
The Blues defeated Leicester 1-0 at Stamford Bridge with Cucurella scoring the only goal of the game to secure a crucial three points for Enzo Maresca’s side.
It was a scoreline that could have been more dominant considering Cole Palmer missed a penalty after a tremendous save from Mads Hermansen.
Chelsa then felt that Palmer should’ve had another opportunity from 12 yards after Pedro Neto was fouled, but Tim Robinson opted not to reward them with a second penalty.
Former FIFA official Keith Hackett exclusively revealed to Football Insider that he was “surprised” a penalty kick wasn’t awarded for that situation.
Chelsea took full advantage of Man City’s defeat against Nottingham Forest and leapfrogged them in the league table to move back into fourth position as the hunt for Champions League football heats up.
Chelsea now sit just two points behind Forest and only six behind Arsenal, who they play next in the Premier League on Sunday (16 March).
Marc Cucurella thrives for Chelsea as Trevoh Chalobah responds
Cucurella has been a crucial member of the Chelsea squad this season after firmly dislodging Ben Chilwell at left-back and becoming one of the first names on the team sheet under Maresca.
The Spain international has taken his scintillating form from the 2024 Euros into this Premier League campaign and has now been adding goals to his game after scoring in consecutive matches.
| Match Stats | Cucurella |
| Touches | 66 |
| Accurate Long Balls | 5/8 (63%) |
| Tackles Won | 1/1 (100%) |
| Clearances | 6 |
Cucurella had two shots throughout the game and made four passes into the final third as he looked to make an impact offensively as well as in his traditional defensive role.
The full-back took to Instagram to celebrate the victory by saying, “Sunday’s at the Bridge. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
His teammate Trevoh Chalobah was among those to respond after being blown away.
Chelsea need more firepower upfront moving forward
Much like several teams in the Premier League, Chelsea are currently in a desperate need to recruit more quality in the final third of the pitch – particularly a striker.
The Blues have been heavily linked to Liam Delap throughout this season, although it is believed that Chelsea will face competition in trying to land his signature.
However, the need for a striker is clear as the Blues don’t want to be relying upon goals from their left-back to salvage their results.
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