Ben Chilwell must impress Enzo Maresca if he wants to thrive at Chelsea
Retreat 12 months and imagine Chelseafans being offered the chance to vote in a poll for their preferred starting left-back given a straight choice between Ben Chilwelland Marc Cucurella.
Given Cucurella’s struggles in his first season at Stamford Bridge and general lack of popularity in the stands, it is fair to assume Chilwell would have come out on top.
That is not the case now.
An indication of the upturn in Cucurella’s fortunes this year is that it would be a surprise if most fans would not want to see the Spain international start Chelsea’s opening Premier Leaguegame against Manchester Cityon August 18.
Since returning from a serious ankle injury in March, Cucurella has enjoyed quite the renaissance.
He started the last 14 games of Chelsea’s 2023-24 campaign, which coincided with the club’s best run of the season — nine wins, three draws and two defeats. He was also named in UEFA’s Team of the Tournament for Euro 2024 and set up Spain’s winning goal in the final with a sublime low cross to break English hearts.
The 25-year-old is now enjoying a delayed summer holiday, so will miss the first week of Chelsea’s pre-season tour to the United States — the club travel to the west coast on Monday — at the very least. It means Chilwell, who already has two weeks of training under his belt, has even more time in his team-mate’s absence to make a positive impression on new head coach Enzo Maresca.
It is an opportunity he has to take.
Chilwell needs to rejuvenate a Chelsea career that has been hindered by injury for three successive seasons. Since starting 27 Premier League games in 2020-21, his first season at the club, the England international has been named in the first team on just 30 more occasions in the top flight. Despite his own issues with fitness and form, Cucurella has started almost double the number of Premier League games — 41 to Chilwell’s 24 — for Chelsea in the past two seasons.
After suffering an anterior cruciate ligament knee injury that ended his season prematurely in November 2021, Transfermarkt shows Chilwell has sat out another 268 days of action recovering from eight more separate issues, mainly hamstring strains. With the Conference League and Club World Cup, Chelsea will be competing on five fronts over the next 12 months, so there will be question marks about whether Chilwell’s body can cope with the intense workload ahead.
When fit, his athletic prowess has never been in doubt. This month, Chilwell came out on top, along with Malo Gusto, in the club’s bleep test, a traditional pre-season exercise that requires players to run continuously between two lines in time to recorded beeps. Finishing first in this exercise is pretty much an annual event for Chilwell.
Perhaps more importantly, though, Chilwell has to prove to Maresca that he can fit into his style of play. The Italian likes to play with an ‘inverted’ full-back, operating more in the middle of the pitch just as Cucurella did to good effect in the last few months of Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure in charge. New signing Renato Veigahas also added to the pressure — he can play as an inverted left-back. Levi Colwill, too, could be deployed in the role.
Chilwell is more renowned for being a traditional full-back who stays out wide, making constant runs to help defence and attack. He will surely have to adapt if he is to fit in.
But Chilwell should take comfort from how Maresca helped Ricardo Pereirado just that at Leicesterin the Championship last season. Early training footage released by Chelsea on their Fifth Stand app shows Chilwell already beginning to earn Maresca’s approval. “Well done Chilly,” the head coach can be heard shouting during one intense drill.
But his standing in the game is not what it was.
While Cucurella was impressing for his country at the European Championship, Chilwell suffered the disappointment of being omitted from England’s final 26-man squad by Gareth Southgate. What made the snub all the more noteworthy was that Southgate preferred to take an injured Luke Shaw, who was not in condition to feature in the opening four games and made his only start at left-back in the final, while right-back Kieran Trippierwas played out of position in Shaw’s absence.
Even though he has three years left on his contract, Chilwell is a player Chelsea could consider selling if the price is right. He is one of the biggest earners at the club — a reality that comes under greater scrutiny the more time he spends on the treatment table.
However, his role is not confined to what he can do on the pitch. Chilwell turns 28 in December and, now that Thiago Silva has departed, he is the squad’s second-oldest outfield player.
Even with 39-year-old Silva in their ranks last season, Chelsea’s squad had the lowest average age in the division. Chilwell’s experience and leadership are important in such a young group. He was vice-captain under Pochettino and is one of the few players remaining from the matchday squad for the Champions League final victory over Manchester City in 2021. Reece Jamesand Kepa Arrizabalagaare the others.
It is a responsibility Chilwell takes very seriously, as he told the Chelsea website last month. “Next season, I want to win trophies with Chelsea,” he said. “I’m fortunate enough to be one of the players that’s won trophies here before and I want the others to be able to experience that as well. That’s the next step that this group needs to take.
“My role here has evolved a lot. When I joined I was 23 and probably one of the younger players in the squad. So I went onto the pitch with a bit more freedom because I had the older, experienced players around me who were guiding me.
“But now I’m the one welcoming new lads and that has been good for me, and it’s good to grow that way as a footballer with the leadership side of things. Last season especially I tried to guide the younger players on and off the pitch, talking more in meetings, at half-time, before games, after games. I’m just being more of a vocal character and trying to guide our ship a bit more.”
Maresca’s first game as Chelsea head coach is a friendly against League Oneside Wrexhamon July 24.
There will be much tougher competition to come but, for Chilwell, that game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara provides an early chance to show he is ready to battle Cucurella for his place in the team.
Ben Chilwell must impress Enzo Maresca if he wants to thrive at Chelsea
Retreat 12 months and imagine Chelseafans being offered the chance to vote in a poll for their preferred starting left-back given a straight choice between Ben Chilwelland Marc Cucurella.
Given Cucurella’s struggles in his first season at Stamford Bridge and general lack of popularity in the stands, it is fair to assume Chilwell would have come out on top.
That is not the case now.
An indication of the upturn in Cucurella’s fortunes this year is that it would be a surprise if most fans would not want to see the Spain international start Chelsea’s opening Premier Leaguegame against Manchester Cityon August 18.
Since returning from a serious ankle injury in March, Cucurella has enjoyed quite the renaissance.
He started the last 14 games of Chelsea’s 2023-24 campaign, which coincided with the club’s best run of the season — nine wins, three draws and two defeats. He was also named in UEFA’s Team of the Tournament for Euro 2024 and set up Spain’s winning goal in the final with a sublime low cross to break English hearts.
The 25-year-old is now enjoying a delayed summer holiday, so will miss the first week of Chelsea’s pre-season tour to the United States — the club travel to the west coast on Monday — at the very least. It means Chilwell, who already has two weeks of training under his belt, has even more time in his team-mate’s absence to make a positive impression on new head coach Enzo Maresca.
It is an opportunity he has to take.
Chilwell needs to rejuvenate a Chelsea career that has been hindered by injury for three successive seasons. Since starting 27 Premier League games in 2020-21, his first season at the club, the England international has been named in the first team on just 30 more occasions in the top flight. Despite his own issues with fitness and form, Cucurella has started almost double the number of Premier League games — 41 to Chilwell’s 24 — for Chelsea in the past two seasons.
After suffering an anterior cruciate ligament knee injury that ended his season prematurely in November 2021, Transfermarkt shows Chilwell has sat out another 268 days of action recovering from eight more separate issues, mainly hamstring strains. With the Conference League and Club World Cup, Chelsea will be competing on five fronts over the next 12 months, so there will be question marks about whether Chilwell’s body can cope with the intense workload ahead.
When fit, his athletic prowess has never been in doubt. This month, Chilwell came out on top, along with Malo Gusto, in the club’s bleep test, a traditional pre-season exercise that requires players to run continuously between two lines in time to recorded beeps. Finishing first in this exercise is pretty much an annual event for Chilwell.
Perhaps more importantly, though, Chilwell has to prove to Maresca that he can fit into his style of play. The Italian likes to play with an ‘inverted’ full-back, operating more in the middle of the pitch just as Cucurella did to good effect in the last few months of Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure in charge. New signing Renato Veigahas also added to the pressure — he can play as an inverted left-back. Levi Colwill, too, could be deployed in the role.
Chilwell is more renowned for being a traditional full-back who stays out wide, making constant runs to help defence and attack. He will surely have to adapt if he is to fit in.
But Chilwell should take comfort from how Maresca helped Ricardo Pereirado just that at Leicesterin the Championship last season. Early training footage released by Chelsea on their Fifth Stand app shows Chilwell already beginning to earn Maresca’s approval. “Well done Chilly,” the head coach can be heard shouting during one intense drill.
But his standing in the game is not what it was.
While Cucurella was impressing for his country at the European Championship, Chilwell suffered the disappointment of being omitted from England’s final 26-man squad by Gareth Southgate. What made the snub all the more noteworthy was that Southgate preferred to take an injured Luke Shaw, who was not in condition to feature in the opening four games and made his only start at left-back in the final, while right-back Kieran Trippierwas played out of position in Shaw’s absence.
Even though he has three years left on his contract, Chilwell is a player Chelsea could consider selling if the price is right. He is one of the biggest earners at the club — a reality that comes under greater scrutiny the more time he spends on the treatment table.
However, his role is not confined to what he can do on the pitch. Chilwell turns 28 in December and, now that Thiago Silva has departed, he is the squad’s second-oldest outfield player.
Even with 39-year-old Silva in their ranks last season, Chelsea’s squad had the lowest average age in the division. Chilwell’s experience and leadership are important in such a young group. He was vice-captain under Pochettino and is one of the few players remaining from the matchday squad for the Champions League final victory over Manchester City in 2021. Reece Jamesand Kepa Arrizabalagaare the others.
It is a responsibility Chilwell takes very seriously, as he told the Chelsea website last month. “Next season, I want to win trophies with Chelsea,” he said. “I’m fortunate enough to be one of the players that’s won trophies here before and I want the others to be able to experience that as well. That’s the next step that this group needs to take.
“My role here has evolved a lot. When I joined I was 23 and probably one of the younger players in the squad. So I went onto the pitch with a bit more freedom because I had the older, experienced players around me who were guiding me.
“But now I’m the one welcoming new lads and that has been good for me, and it’s good to grow that way as a footballer with the leadership side of things. Last season especially I tried to guide the younger players on and off the pitch, talking more in meetings, at half-time, before games, after games. I’m just being more of a vocal character and trying to guide our ship a bit more.”
Maresca’s first game as Chelsea head coach is a friendly against League Oneside Wrexhamon July 24.
There will be much tougher competition to come but, for Chilwell, that game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara provides an early chance to show he is ready to battle Cucurella for his place in the team.
