Since Erin Cuthbert signed a new contract to stay with the Chelsea Women long-term, her form on the pitch has been one to marvel at. Cuthbert and Sophie Ingle were two of the main catalysts in the Blues’ triumph against Real Madrid in the Champions League to extend their lead in Group A. It is not only the outside-of-the-box finishes that are becoming a regular occurrence, Cuthbert has made the midfield her own this season. The Scottish international is first on the Blues for tackles in all competitions with 33, 14 more than any other CFC player this season.
She still manages to sit in the top four on this elite Chelsea team in shot-creating actions with 26 in total, only one behind Sam Kerr. Last season, in 26 matches played in both the WSL and Champions League, the Scot totaled 53 tackles, and in just 11 games before the month of December has even begun, the Scottish central midfielder is just 20 off of her career-high. She is two tackles off what she accumulated all last season in the defensive third of the pitch.
While many of her performances are memorable, the fixture against Real Madrid stood out in both the eye test and stat sheet. University of the West of Scotland alumna made an astonishing 50 pressures against Los Blancos at Kingsmeadow, the next highest player on either side was Sam Kerr, and Guro Reiten with 18. She was not just closing down the opposition in one part of the pitch, Cuthbert was making the entire Spanish side feel her presence from the defense to the players leading the line.
During that match, the Scottish star midfielder touched the ball more than any other player on the pitch. In the previous contest at Stamford Bridge against Tottenham, Cuthbert played just 65 minutes but was able to finish as the team leader in tackles with four, winning possession on three of them. She is on track for a career-high in passing completion percentage, completing nearly 80 percent of her passes through the ten games she contributed in.
After her outing against los Blancos, manager Emma Hayes praised Cuthbert for her output:
"“She covered every blade of grass…There was a tenacity to her performance even when there wasn’t a tenacity to our performance [overall] in the first half. In the second half, she drove the team on and of course, she meant every part of that top-corner finish.”"
During her time as a professional, Cuthbert has played in the frontline of the attack and used as a wing-back when necessary, but Hayes being able to recognize her quality that could be demonstrated in the middle of the park has not only changed her career, but the trajectory of the Blues for years to come. With Scotland failing to qualify for the World Cup during the summer, Cuthbert has her complete focus on giving 100 percent to leading Chelsea to as many trophies as she can at the end of the season. She has played 90 minutes in 13 out of the 15 matches including international duty since the beginning of September.
Every match, there seems to be another statistic or moment where everyone in the ground has no choice but to applaud the brilliance and discipline of the current frontrunner for the Blues’ Player of the Season. She has played in every match, but one, earning a well-deserved night off during the Blues’ 8-0 thumping of Vllaznia in the Champions League. What Cuthbert does on both ends of the pitch may often go unnoticed during some matches, but if it wasn’t for the mentality that she brings into each match, who knows where this team would be at this moment in the season?
Having Cuthbert sign a new contract to stay in west London until the summer of 2025 is arguably one of the most essential moves that Todd Boehly has made since his introduction to the club. Her importance to this team shows up in the heat maps after the game and the mind-boggling statistics that she is able to produce. As the season turns to the month of December, there is no telling what eye-catching numbers she will be able to produce in a single match or when the season comes to a close. Her smile and personality make her the person she is, but when she steps on the pitch, there is a complete transformation to focusing on whatever she can do to help her team win at the end of 90 minutes.