He is a Disgrace; Cucurella again blamed for Ben Chiwell red card incident against Real Madrid; Jamie O’Hara
He is a Disgrace; Cucurella again blamed for Ben Chiwell red card incident against Real Madrid; Jamie O’Hara.
Would you imagine another match another disgrace for Chelsea in the worst ever fashion and it is not looking like it will even end here.
Ben Chiwell saw a red card after a silly challenge against Rodrygo and this prompted the series of actions that led to Cucurella getting blamed.
That moment ultimately proved to be key on the night, with the 24-year-old – who had fewer touches than Kepa during the game – criticised heavily by pundits and journalists alike.
Things go from bad to worse for Chelsea as Ben Chilwell sees red for this challenge on Rodrygo… 😳#UCL pic.twitter.com/TWBtE9hgmI
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 12, 2023
The ever-outspoken Jamie O’Hara labelled the wing-back a “disgrace” for having “killed” Chelsea’s momentum while Chris Sutton suggested the former Brighton man had been “schooled” by Rodrygo prior to the red card.
The defender’s overall game was aptly summed up by BBC Sport’s Raj Chohan who noted: “Cucurella’s aggression is such an issue. Always mistiming his jumps out of the back 3. And doesn’t have the recovery pace to get back into position when it gets played around him.”
This isn’t the first time the 5 foot 8 ace has disappointed recently, with his shocking back pass being the reason Ollie Watkins was able to score in the defeat to Aston Villa a few weeks ago.
Cucurella’s drop-off in performance in the space of seven months or so has been remarkable. Only last season was he being eyed by Manchester City after his defensive partnership with Tariq Lamptey was described as “one of the best full-back pairings” in the entire league by Goal’s Mitch Wilks.
The £60m signing has clearly been a shadow since that review, with the ex-Getafe man set to go down as pound for pound one of the worst acquisitions in Chelsea’s recent history.
