"Making the players around him better!" - Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca heaps praise on 'very important' Blues star

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has lavished praise on Marc Cucurella insisting that the Spaniard makes everyone around him better. The Italian manager has made a pretty impressive start to his stint at Stamford Bridge with Cucurella playing a key role.

Maresca said that Cururella possesses a unique quality that is hard to find in most players. He also wished that he had more players like the Euro 2024 winning Spain international. Ahead of Chelsea's game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, September 28, the Blues boss said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano:

"Marc Cucurella has something you sometimes struggle to find in other players. He's very important. He is making the players around him better!"

The Italian added:

"If you have five, six or seven players like Marc in a team... trust me, it is very important."

Cucurella didn't quite have a good start to life at Chelsea following his reported £62 million move from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022. He was seen as a deputy to Ben Chilwell but has been Maresca's favorite since he took over at the club.

The 26-year-old has made 64 appearances for the club, contributing with one goal and four assists. He has started all five Premier League games for the Blues this season and has become one of the manager's favorites.

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Liverpool legend backs Chelsea for a top-four finish this season

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has claimed that the Blues could finish in the top four in the Premier League this season. The former England defender also admitted that he did not expect the Blues to challenge for a Champions League spot at the start of the season. Carragher said on The Overlap (via the Chelsea Chronicle):

“I must say they’ve surprised me a lot. I think especially in the away games. You know those types of results where you haven’t watched the game and then someone tells you Wolves away, and you go wow. West Ham was pretty similar. That feels like a really big result."

The former England defender added:

“I didn’t have [Chelsea] anywhere near the top four at the start of the season or thought you could really challenge it, but it looks like now they could.”

The west London side have made a promising start to the season. They have qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League group stages and the fourth round of the EFL Cup. They are fifth in the Premier League table after five games having won three, lost one, and drawn one of their opening five games.