Marc Cucurella makes a massive Chelsea statement in UCL

No Thiago Silva. No Benoit Badiashile. Graham Potter has limited options in the backline if he wanted to continue with the same formation as the win against Leeds United over the weekend. The former Brighton & Hove Albion boss knew what Marc Cucurella could bring on the left side of a back three, and his trust paid off.

The £63m price tag seemed quite astronomical considering the lack of consistency he has shown so far. He may not have lived up to that kind of money just yet, but his display at Stamford Bridge against an in-form Dortmund side was a step in the right direction.

While everyone in the defense played their part in contributing to another clean sheet, it was quite noticeable how comfortable the Spaniard looked compared to many of his most recent appearances. In 26 matches played prior to Tuesday night in both the Champions League and the English top-flight season, Cucurella had not accumulated more than two interceptions. His  anticipation led the 24-year-old to four interceptions in his first full 90-minute match since the end of January against Liverpool.