“He deserves that”- Mauricio Pochettino praises Chelsea star for holding his own against Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka

Mauricio Pochettino lauds Chelsea star Marc Cucurella for pocketing Bukayo Saka vs Arsenal

Chelsea star Marc Cucurella appeared to be on his way out of Stamford Bridge last summer but is making a real case for his abilities with his performances on the field this season.

Injuries to Ben Chilwell and the uncertainty surrounding Ian Maatsen have handed the Spaniard opportunities for game time. One such opportunity presented itself against Arsenal last night. Facing an in-form Bukayo Saka is a difficult proposition to most players but aside from the occasional blip, Cucurella held his ground well.

Chelsea dominated the opening three-quarters of the match and a large part of it is thanks to Cucurella tying down Saka. Speaking after the game (h/t Fabrizio Romano via X), Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino praised the 25-year-old and commended him for the stellar showing.

“Credits to Marc Cucurella. He deserves that, really”. “He is training super well, he played very well against a very good player like Saka.”

The Spaniard’s hard work and application appear to be earning him brownie points from Pochettino. With the January transfer window approaching, Cucurella could find himself growing increasingly important. As things stand, it will not come as a surprise should the Blues opt not to ap[rt ways in January.

It is not easy to keep a player like Saka quiet and Cucurella did waver as the game went on. He earned himself a yellow card in the second half and also lost the Arsenal star who provided the assist for his side’s equaliser. While the Chelsea man deserves plaudits, he still has a ways to go before becoming completely reliable.

For now, he can bask in the glory of what has been a mostly successful evening in Blue. Cucurella showed his true potential at Brighton and we hope he will go on to achieve the promise at Stamford Bridge.

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Pochettino’s plan at Stamford Bridge is slowly yet surely coming together. As long as we keep up the same level of performance that we saw in the first half, there is every reason to believe Chelsea can go a long way indeed.