Jamie Carragher believes Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is the reason behind the brilliant transformation of one Blues player this season.
The jury may still be out on Enzo Maresca for plenty of supporters at Chelsea, but he could be on the verge of completing a very strong debut season in the club’s dugout.
The Blues have two fixtures remaining this campaign, and both are massive.
Chelsea know they’ll qualify for next year’s Champions League if they win away against Nottingham Forest on the final day of the Premier League season. Afterwards, they’ll try to win European silverware against Spanish club Real Betis in the Conference League final.
Chelsea’s board are standing by Enzo Maresca even if they don’t qualify for the Champions League, but it feels essential to show the fanbase they’re moving in the right direction.
Jamie Carragher credits Enzo Maresca for the Marc Cucurella turnaround
Without a doubt, the form of Marc Cucurella has been one of the biggest success stories at Chelsea in the 2024/25 season. He has gone from major criticism to a serious fan favourite.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher believes that Blues manager Maresca deserves so much credit for getting the best out of Cucurella.
The 26-year-old left-back has seen his game unlocked and improved this term, largely because of a new role that encourages him to push higher up the pitch.
Carragher said on Sky Sports’ Main Event channel (7:30pm, 19 May): “Credit to Maresca, this is something that happened very early on. Arne Slot always goes back to the Chelsea game at Anfield… I don’t think it was Cucurella, I’m sure it was [Malo] Gusto. We thought he was going to play left-back, he was actually playing high in a No 10 position when Chelsea had the ball. I think that’s what he (Cucurella) he is benefiting from. Even at the start of that clip, he’s in that No 10 position. Again, it’s the next step of where full-backs have been playing.”
Cucurella scored the winner in Chelsea’s crucial 1-0 victory against Manchester United last Friday, and he’s made a great habit of popping up with important goals this term.
The £110,000-a-week defender (Salary Sport) also netted the only goal when the Blues beat relegated Leicester City 1-0 back in March.
As well as being a significant attacking presence, he also defends with aggression that catches the eye. Incidentally, Wayne Rooney praised a fearless Marc Cucurella for the way he handled the task of facing Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah earlier in May.
The incredible upturn in Marc Cucurella’s attacking contributions
In Cucurella’s first two seasons as a Chelsea player, he didn’t provide too much of an offensive threat. However, he has transformed his entire game during a phenomenal third year at Stamford Bridge.
As you can see below, the Spanish left-back is now a major contributor going forward.
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 2024/25 | 46 | 7 | 4 |
| 2023/24 | 26 | 1 | 3 |
| 2022/23 | 33 | 0 | 2 |
As Carragher mentions, Cucurella is frequently picking up advanced positions when the Blues have possession, so Maresca deserves huge credit for spotting the potential in him as a goal threat.
Glenn Hoddle’s assessment of Marc Cucurella is that he’s completely turned his Chelsea career around this season by becoming this threat in the penalty box.
At the moment, he must be one of the first names on the team sheet.
