Estevao scored his fifth Chelsea goal of the season in midweek as the Blues eased to a 3-0 home win over Barcelona in the Champions League. Chelsea went ahead midway through the first half through a Jules Kounde own goal following some good work from Marc Cucurella down the right.
The Brazil international doubled Chelsea’s advantage 10 minutes after the break before Liam Delap confirmed the home triumph over Barcelona, who were reduced to 10 men shortly before the interval after Ronald Araujo received his marching orders. Estevao rightly received praise for his showing on the right flank against the Blaugrana, but it was Cucurella who was named Player of the Match in the Stamford Bridge success.
The Spanish left-back was instrumental in minimising compatriot Lamine Yamal’s impact down the Barcelona right. Yamal managed just one shot and created only two chances before he was replaced by Dani Olmo with 10 minutes to play.
And Estevao faces off against Cucurella in training, which the Daily Mail notes the Spaniard “takes serisously” despite being one of the biggest jokers in the squad. When the youngster’s one-vs-one battle in training is often tougher than actual games, it is incredibly helpful.
It meant that the Brazilian came in for the same treatment that Yamal was on the receiving end of in the capital on Tuesday night. Cucurella even joked that he’d use Estevao in the days beforehand as practise for Chelsea’s game against Barcelona as the defender geared up to face Yamal at Stamford Bridge.
While Cucurella insisted that Chelsea’s game against Barcelona was “not Yamal vs Cucurella, it’s Chelsea vs Barcelona“, the Blues star finally relented. When asked about his preparation in training for his battle against Yamal, Cucurella said: “I told Estevao to put shin pads on this week because I’m going to be practising on him.”
Cucurella made good on his word to stop Yamal by any means necessary, making five tackles and committing four fouls on the way to Chelsea’s 3-0 win. Estevao, meanwhile, created three chances and completed two dribbles to go with his goal a the Brazilian winger tormented Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde.
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Cucurella can expect another tough test on Sunday afternoon when Chelsea host league leaders Arsenal. Six points separate the pair at the top of the table with the Gunners looking to land a first Premier League title in over 20 years having finished second in each of the last three league seasons.
And the Spaniard is set to face off against Bukayo Saka on home turf to round weekend’s Premier League action. And ahead of the game, Blues boss Enzo Maresca lavished praise upon Cucurella, stating that “the more players you have like Marc, the better it is”.
“It is the focus and attention he has for 95 minutes,” Maresca said of Cucurella ahead of Sunday’s London derby. “For defenders you can be good for 94 minutes and then you can drop the attention for one minute and concede something.”
The Italian boss then jokingly added: “The good thing about Marc is that for 95 minutes he is always focused – apart from Tottenham away [last season] when we conceded two goals in two minutes because of him! Overall, Marc has always been top, and he is always thinking how he can defend better.”
Maresca also praised Cucurella’s impact for the club both on and off the pitch. A number of Chelsea stars have commented that the former Brighton man is a big personality in the dressing room, a quality that has impressed Maresca.
“He is the biggest joker, for sure, one of the characters inside the building, and he has the capacity to switch from laughing and joking to being serious,” the Italian added. “I want all the players to have that mentality. The more players you have like Marc, the better it is.”
Chelsea can close the gap to Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table to three points with a win over the Gunners this weekend. The Blues, though, have drawn their last two home games against their London rivals, and have failed to win their last six home league meetings with Arsenal, losing three times.
