Chelsea are still firmly in the running for Champions League qualification after a significant win against Manchester United.
In their penultimate game of the Premier League season, the Blues secured a 1-0 victory at home against Man Utd on Friday night.
Marc Cucurella’s second-half header was the difference between the teams. Incidentally, Glenn Hoddle raved about Marc Cucurella because of the left-back’s incredible transformation in his Chelsea career.
Enzo Maresca’s side are up to fourth in the Premier League standings with the three points.
Ultimately, the simple equation for Chelsea now is that they’ll secure qualification for next season’s Champions League if they win away at Nottingham Forest on the final day.
Jamie Redknapp amazed by the brilliance of Moises Caicedo
Following Chelsea’s success against Man Utd, Jamie Redknapp highlighted Cucurella and Moises Caicedo for significant praise.
In particular, he described Blues midfielder Caicedo, 23, as a “world-class” operator.
Redknapp told Sky Sports Premier League: “I think when he (Cucurella) came from Brighton, the fee was expensive, £58m or something like that for a left-back… He struggled. I think it’s a great example of patience with players. Even if they do cost a lot of money because you sometimes think they’re going to come in and hit the ground running.
“It was the same with Caicedo. You look at Caicedo now; he looks like a world-class player. When he first came, and the team was struggling devoid of any confidence, it was very difficult for him.
“The left-back Cucurella I thought was magnificent. He’s aggressive. I think the Euros obviously helped him winning that. And he’s got that bit of nastiness about him.”
Yet again, Caicedo put in the type of performance against Man Utd that underlines why he won Chelsea’s Player of the Season award.
Despite covering at right-back in a few games recently, he was back in his preferred role in defensive midfield on Friday. Unsurprisingly, he looked back to his brilliant best, dominating the opposition on and off the ball.
Cole Palmer said it’s a “dream” playing with Moises Caicedo, which is an opinion we’re sure the entire dressing room shares because he’s so influential.
Moises Caicedo runs rings around Manchester United
It was far from a vintage Chelsea performance as they scrapped to a win against Man Utd. However, Caicedo was majorly impressive again in the centre of the park.
Squawka data highlighted that Chelsea’s midfield general made the most tackles and won the most duels in a dominant individual performance.
It’s no surprise that Caicedo is the only player in Chelsea’s squad to start 37 out of 37 games in the Premier League this season. Now, we expect him to complete the set next Sunday for the vital trip to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest.
Without a doubt, Caicedo belongs in the Champions League with his special talent, and the Blues are 90 minutes away from sealing it.
