Chelsea’s revived ‘machine’ is now one of the PL’s best players

Chelsea are dreaming of great success, but this project is a work in progress and there is no doubting the progress the Londoner has made over the past few years.

Last season’s efforts under coach Enzo Maresca led to Champions League qualification, double continental titles, the Conference League title, a victory over Paris Saint-Germain in a cross-over, and a new format for the Club World Cup.

Chelsea have been on a hiring spree since Todd Boley and co first arrived at Stamford Bridge and this summer was no different. But there is a new level of consistency in the team, with increased focus and quality from end to end.

The Blues are no longer as reliant on Cole Palmer leading the way. And that’s also a good thing, considering the 23-year-old’s groin injury was confirmed by Maresca to have worsened on Friday morning, extending his time out.

How will Chelsea cope without Palmer?

It would not be unfair to say that Chelsea have relied on Palmer’s talents ever since the Three Lions star arrived from Manchester City for £42.5m in 2023.

Palmer played 101 games in all competitions for Chelsea, scoring 45 goals and providing 29 assists, and was an easy part of attacking midfield.

This season is set to suffer badly for Maresca and his men, with poor fitness in the first few months causing problems that drag on until the final months of 2025.

As frustrating as the setback is, it is no longer the damaging blow it once was. After all, many of Chelsea’s greatest talents have now grown into its skin.

Some believe that Moises Caicedo has been crowned the club’s new main player. Indeed, the Ecuadorian has come into his own this year, with Sky Sports’ Gary Neville even claiming he is the “best midfielder in the league”.

This is a far cry from the initial buzz surrounding his name when he joined from Brighton in 2023 for a record £115m.

But Caicedo is not alone. Chelsea also splashed out on Enzo Fernandes after Argentina’s incredible World Cup performance in Qatar. Although he has waxed and waned and been made a scapegoat once or twice, he has become an increasingly prolific force in the last year, working tirelessly to hold the top three.

However, there is another first-team player at Stamford Bridge who, after a period of deception, is now hitting on all cylinders and may actually rival Palmer for his status as one of the Premier League’s best players.

Chelsea star is now one of the best players in the Prem

Palmer will be a marquee player as long as he remains a member of Chelsea’s first team. But this smooth playmaker is no longer the leader of a one-man team.

While the frontline continues to grow stronger, players like Marc Cucurella are finally realizing their potential and shaping Maresca’s vision into completeness and depth.

In 2022, the 27-year-old joined Chelsea from Brighton for £60 million, an impressive fee for a full-back. And for the first year or two, Boley will have a hard time claiming he’s been rewarded, even if the Blues’ broader problems have compounded Cucurella’s own problems.

Journalist Tom Overend recently admitted that the £175,000-a-week talent “looked lost” in his early days at Chelsea, but has since bounced back and is regarded as “one of the best left-backs in the world”.

The data speaks for itself. Cucurella’s tactical duties have changed since his initial arrival from Brighton, with him flipping more often under Maresca’s wing and contributing to the build-up.

And if he can pass with such confidence, Maresca’s decision to use him in this way makes sense. According to FBref data, the Spaniard ranks in the top 11% of players by position in the Premier League this season for assists, the top 2% for completed passes and the top 11% for passes completed per 90.

Not only that, Cucurella has also gotten more creative with its distribution. Sofa scoring record where he created an average of 1.4 chances per Premier League match. In addition to this, he averages two tackles for victory each game and wins 58% of his ground battles.

Palmer and Cucurella are very different players and at different stages of their careers, but the latter’s meteoric rise is undeniable. He knows what it means to struggle and struggle to get up from the streets. In fact, cucurella was once branded as ‘.shame” Jamie O’Hara’s always frank performance was praised.

But “The Machine,” as content creator Terry Frewers called him, has added goals and assists while strengthening his defensive skill set and revitalizing his athleticism, making him a force to be reckoned with.

When it comes to the trust placed in him by his manager, no other Chelsea player has featured as often as Cucurella under Maresca.

It’s interesting to think that the full-back is one of the most influential players within a competitive Premier League team. Few would dispute that position within the team. A good example is Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Cucurella may not have the same passing width, but if he continues to maintain his current rich form throughout the season and into the next few years, he will make a convincing case to be one of the most complete defenders in the history of the division.

If so, he will undoubtedly develop into one of the best players in this country.