Resurgent Chelsea “machine” is now one of the PL’s best players

Chelsea are dreaming of illustrious success, but this project is a work in progress, and there is no doubting the improvements the Londoners have made over the past several years.

Last season’s efforts under coach Enzo Maresca saw them qualify for the Champions League, triumph across two continents, win the Conference League and then beat Paris Saint-Germain over the pond to lift the Club World Cup in its new format.

Since Todd Buhle and co first arrived at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have attracted a large number of players, and this summer has been no different. But there is a new level of cohesion in the team, more focus and quality from corner to corner.

The Blues are no longer relying so heavily on Cole Palmer to lead the way. Which is a good thing too, given that Maresca confirmed the 23-year-old’s groin injury aggravated on Friday morning, extending his spell out of action.

How can Chelsea cope without Palmer?

It is not unfair to say that Chelsea have at times relied on Palmer’s brilliance since the Three Lions star’s £42.5m move from Manchester City in 2023.

In 101 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea, Palmer has scored 45 goals and provided 29 assists, and is easily as good as an attacking midfielder.

This season, the first few months of reduced fitness have put something in the works, and that is now set to continue until the final month of 2025, dealing a harsh blow against Maresca and his men.

No matter how frustrating the setback is, it is no longer the damaging blow it once was. After all, a number of Chelsea’s biggest talents have now grown into their skin.

Some believe Moises Caicedo has taken the crown as the club’s new main man. Truly, the Ecuadorian has become something special this year, with Sky Sports’ Gary Neville even claiming he is the “best midfielder in the league”.

This is a far cry from the initial hype surrounding his name after he joined from Brighton for a record fee of £115m in 2023.

But Caicedo is not alone. Chelsea also broke the bank for Enzo Fernandes after Argentina’s impressive World Cup campaign in Qatar. It has ebb and flowed and been made into a scapegoat on an occasion or two, but it has become an increasingly prolific force in the past year and works tirelessly to tie up third parties.

However, there is another first-choice player at Stamford Bridge who has been flattered to deceive for some time, but is now firing on all cylinders and could actually challenge Palmer for the position as one of the best players in the Premier League.

The Chelsea star is now one of the best in the Prem

As long as he is a member of Chelsea’s first team, Palmer will be the poster boy. But the silky playmaker is no longer the boss of a one-man team.

As the frontline goes from strength to strength, players like Marc Cucurella are finally realizing their potential and shaping Maresca’s vision into a full and profound one.

In 2022, the 27-year-old joined Chelsea from Brighton for £60m, an astonishing sum for a left-back. And over the course of the first year or two, Buhle had difficulty arguing that he got a lot of bang for his buck, even as the Blues’ wider problems worsened those of Cucurella.

Journalist Tom Overend recently admitted that the £175,000-a-week talent “appeared wasted” during his first spell at Chelsea, but has since rebounded and is considered “one of the best left-backs in the world”.

The data speaks for itself Cucurella’s tactical duty has changed since his first arrival from Brighton, where he has often swung under Maresca’s wing, contributing to the build-up.

With such a confident passing, Maresca’s decision to use him in this way makes sense. According to FBref data, the Spaniard ranks in the top 11% of his position peers in the Premier League so far this season in terms of assists, top 2% for pass completions, and top 11% for pass attempts per 90.

Not only that, but Cucurella has also become more creative with his distribution. Sofascore recorded that the average chances created per match in the Premier League was 1.4. Furthermore, he won an average of two times per match and won 58% of his ground duels.

Palmer and Cucurella are very different players and at different stages of their careers, but the latter’s meteoric rise is undeniable. He knows what it means to toil and struggle to get up from the side of the road. In fact, Cucurella was once classified as “shame“For his performance by the always candid Jimmy O’Hara.

But “The Machine,” as creator Terry Fleurs called him, is now irreplaceable, having added goals and assists to his game while enhancing his defensive skill set and revitalizing his athleticism.

And in confirmation of his coach’s confidence in him, no Chelsea player has excelled under Maresca more than Cucurella.

Interestingly, the full-back is considered to be among the most influential players in a competitive Premier League team. Few can dispute that status within the team. Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold would be a good example.

Cucurella may not have the same range of passing, but if he continues his current rich form over the course of the season and the next few years, he will bet he is one of the most complete defenders in the history of the division.

If so, he is sure to turn into one of the best players in the country.