There was never any doubt. Just two weeks after her counterpart in the middle of the park, Jessie Fleming, signed an extension, Erin Cuthbert penned a brand new contract to stay in west London until the summer of 2025. The Scottish superstar has been the heartbeat of the Blues’ midfielder since she joined Glasgow City in 2017. With a personality to light up a room and a tenacity on the pitch that always brings out the best in everyone around her, Cuthbert aims to add every more to her memory bank with the Chelsea Women in the future.
The 2018/29 Chelsea Women’s Player of the Season joined the club when she was just 18 years old, molding herself into a mainstay in the starting IX, and becoming a fan favorite at the same time. The mark she made in the WSL Spring Series in 2017 acted as the launch pad for her career with the west London side. The Scotland international netted four goals and one assist in just five matches played for CFC during 2017 in the year of transitioning in the Women’s Super League.
Following the confirmation of her new deal, Cuthbert expressed her joy of being able to stay with the club of her dreams:
"“I’m delighted, it’s been a long time coming, but I’m happy to finally get it over the line. This is my club and this is where I want to be. The hard work is just beginning, it’s only a stepping stone in where I want to be. I’ve still got a lot to learn, and I’ve still got a lot to give to this club. I know I’ve got more in my tank and that I can reach even bigger heights.”"
The 18-year-old was not afraid of the spotlight, and since then, Cuthbert has produced some of the most memorable moments in the history of the CFCW. From her show-stopping goal against Manchester City in the FA Cup final to her unforgettable volley against Lyon in the 2019 Champions League, Cuthbert is bound to add even more moments like these to her Chelsea resume.
She has started in 67 out of the 78 possible WSL matches since the beginning of the 2018/19 campaign. Each season, her expected goals per 90 minutes may have gone down, but with all of the talent in the frontline, the Scottish midfielder is not tasked to take on as large of a load in that department. It is her tackles, ball recoveries, and creativity to make something happen going forward, and get the Blues out of trouble that makes her so unique, and essential to the Blues’ winning formula.
So far this season, Cuthbert has made more tackles and interceptions in league play than any other player on top of blocking the second-most shots on the team with nine through seven contests. With the men struggling to secure some of its key contributors, the Blues have not nailed down a total of 10 players since the beginning of August.
Nobody can replace what Cuthbert does for the Chelsea Women, and with Fleming growing into her own right beside her, this midfield duo is one that has the ability to run the league for years to come. From a shy, and talented Scottish midfielder, to a confident, and ruthless leader for the Blues. Cuthbert is one of the best examples of growth. Out of all the contracts that CFCW and this new ownership group have confirmed on both the men’s and women’s sides so far, Cuthbert is arguably the more important than all of them. What the Irvine, Scotland native brings to the pitch each and every day for the Blues makes the tasks of the people around her even easier.
Her defensive actions combined with her talent and finishing ability when her name is called upon provide the coaching staff with so many different ways to game plan against the opposition. In the previous match against Manchester United, Cuthbert gave away the ball in the final third, and instead of putting her head down, she made up for it by netting the clinching goal in stoppage time. As Chelsea seeks to hoist even more titles in the near future, Emma Hayes and the rest of the team can now relax knowing that a vital piece to what makes this team successful is now with the club even longer.