Marc Cucurella and Conor Gallagher both have plenty of critics, but a look at the stats from this season show they both certainly have their strong suit.
Gallagher is being regularly brought on as a second half sub to inject some energy into Chelsea’s press, and there’s no denying he delivers on that promise. According to FBRef, his 2.18 tackles per 90 minutes is the highest of anyone on the team.
Cucurella is third, with 1.86. We’ve seen the Spaniard at his best in recent weeks when he’s played on the left of a back 3 and has been able to burst forwards and harry opposition players without worrying about attackers running in behind him.
While neither is the finished article and both are somewhat controversial with fans, you can see the immense value they can bring in certain situations, and we can imagine both keeping up their regular appearances in a similar role until the end of the season.
