Chelsea produced arguably their best performance under Graham Potter on Tuesday night as they swept aside an in-form Borussia Dortmund side to secure their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The Blues had trailed 1-0 after their defeat in Germany last month but were deserved winners at Stamford Bridge, with Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz’s goals sealing a 2-0 win.
It was a story of resurgence for a number of Chelsea stars on the evening, with Sterling and Havertz both getting on the scoresheet after a difficult spell for them in front of goal.
There was also a welcome sight for Todd Boehly, as summer signing Marc Cucurella finally started to show why the Blues paid £60m to sign him from Brighton, in a performance that could kickstart his career at Stamford Bridge.
How did Marc Cucurella play against Borussia Dortmund?
The Spanish defender was drafted in at left centre-back in the absence of Benoit Badiashile, who wasn’t registered for the latter stages of the Champions League despite being a regular in defence since his arrival from Monaco.
Sofascore would award the 24-year-old a solid 7.0/10 rating for his performance at Stamford Bridge, as he contributed an impressive four interceptions, which is a dramatic improvement on the 0.6 he has averaged per game in the Premier League this season.
Chelsea fans will certainly have been impressed with the defender’s tenacity and work rate on the evening, as he and Ben Chilwell caused plenty of problems down the left, with both of Chelsea’s goals coming after good work down that side of the pitch.
The versatile defender was awarded the Man of the Match award by UEFA following the game, with journalist Fabrizio Romano writing:
“Marc Cucurella, UEFA Man of the Match for Chelsea tonight.Cucurella and Koulibaly at top level, one of the best news from Graham Potter.”
Cucurella hasn’t had the best time of things since signing a £175k-per-week deal at Stamford Bridge in August last year, with journalist Nick Emms notably stating post-match that “people doubted him”.
Indeed, his 6.66 WhoScored average rating in the Premier League sees him ranked as the 12th-best performer in Potter’s squad, although last night could be a “real turning point for him” in the words of Ben Jacobs.
However, with more performances like this one on Tuesday night, the £60m signing could soon become the “Cucurella Chelsea fans thought they were signing” – as noted by Bobby Vincent – transitioning from zero to hero in the eyes of the Stamford Bridge faithful.