The season started well for Chelsea in the Premier League. Around mid-December, they were second in the table and a win away from taking the lead for at least a few hours. But since then, it has unraveled terribly. They have won just four of their last 13 matches. All those four wins have been against teams in the bottom five of the table.
Much of the responsibility for Chelsea’s bad run of form lies with their manager, Enzo Maresca. His obsession with picking poor players and his refusal to make tactical changes despite clear failures have been major problems. On top of that, certain players have performed poorly throughout, while others have remained bright spots even during the past three months. Let's take a look at two leading players from each list.
Best Players
Marc Cucurella
Ever since Levi Colwill got injured during the 2023-24 season, Mauricio Pochettino was forced to stop his nonsense of starting Colwill, a center-back, in the left-back position. Marc Cucurella had fallen out of favor due to some poor displays, which were largely influenced by Pochettino’s tactics. However, the injury meant he was back in the starting XI.
Upon his return, Cucurella was deployed in a more inverted role, and he hasn’t looked back since. He ended the season strongly and was rewarded with a starting spot for Spain in Euro 2024, where he played a key role in their triumph. The Chelsea left-back was one of the best players in the tournament, proving he could also perform as a traditional left-back.
When the 2024-25 season began, Cucurella simply continued from where he left off. The Spaniard has been ever-present in the lineup and has remained consistent, regardless of Chelsea’s overall performances. The 26-year-old has been able to invert into midfield or push forward into the final third when needed. He has also scored some crucial goals. He is one player Chelsea fans can trust to deliver a top performance every game.