Marc Cucurella Scouting Report: Analyzing Chelsea's New Fast-and-Furious Spaniard.

The 24-year-old former Barcelona and Brighton man sparkled in a 25-minute cameo on debut vs Everton, but what can Blues fans expect in the long term?

It was all too familiar a sight at Goodison Park. Chelsea’s attack had looked about as useful as an air conditioner in Antarctica, then up stepped Italian penalty expert and hopscotch enthusiast Jorginho to put away a penalty, after which the Blues looked like their chances of victory were intrinsically linked to the fate of Thiago Silva’s hamstrings. In a game bereft of any spark, Marc Cucurella’s electrifying presence became the defibrillator that kept many a Chelsea faithful’s hearts from collapsing. He was the only Chelsea player to create a big chance during the game despite coming on in the 75th minute. His laser-guided passes pierced Everton pressure, and his scurrying across the green galvanized a side still trying to polish away early-season rust. In the end, that vital injection of adrenaline proved vital in Chelsea securing three points at Goodison Park for the first time in five years.

There was something poetic in the way the stars aligned for Marc Cucurella, two days before the new year. Until then, the season had been a blur for the 24-year-old Spaniard – he had arrived on English shores with a child that was only ten days old, and a vocabulary, that by his own admission, covered three or four English words. 30th of December offered his biggest challenge on the pitch yet.

“The first game at centerback was Chelsea away,” he told The Athletic back in May. “I was very nervous. I’ve played there for one or two games in my life before I came here – only for the last minutes, not starting games.” The two performances he delivered against his future employers were memorable for all the right reasons. A resolute display at left CB was topped off by a beautiful cross that led to Danny Welbeck’s 91st minute equalizer; in the reverse fixture he played in a hybrid 4-1-4-1and emerged one of the best players on the pitch. Chelsea’s search for a combative, progressive CB to slot into their back 3 would drag them through an agonizing pursuit of Jules Kounde and a fruitless mission for Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol. The Blues had been monitoring Cucurella since 2020, but that audition at CB now feels like the moment that finally moved the needle from yellow to green.

Why It Makes Sense

The back 3 system has become synonymous with Thomas Tuchel’s style of play at Chelsea, with no one playing a more crucial role in it than Antonio Rudiger. Last season, Rudiger started a staggering 52 games, playing 4,805 minutes. To highlight how crucial his availability was – the next outfielder to feature on the list was Thiago Silva, with a thousand minutes less and 13 fewer starts. In an injury-ravaged season for Chelsea, Rudiger’s consistency and availability were severely underrated.

Due to defensive frailties and imbalance elsewhere in the squad, Tuchel was forced to sacrifice a midfielder/attacker for a 3rd CB. To ask one of the CBs to compensate for the loss of potential creative/attacking output would have been excessive, hence Tuchel looked for a different kind of threat. He picked Rudiger, who had featured in a back 3 under Antonio Conte during the 17/18 FA Cup winning season (he was MotM in the final) and urged the German defender to channel his fearlessness and confidence into balancing marauding runs from centerback and nullifying attacking threats looking to exploit his advanced forays. There was emphasis on creating issues with adventurous positioning. Some numbers reflected this too – Rudiger created 13 chances last season, the same number he created in his first four seasons at Chelsea combined. He took 51 shots during these four years; he had 48 last season alone, although a majority of them threatened NASA’s satellites more than the opposition goal.

Post his departure, it was unrealistic to ask the experienced, albeit aging, duo of Thiago Silva or Cesar Azpilicueta to perform this exhausting duty. Kalidou Koulibaly offered the occasional run during his younger days in a Napoli back 4 but has toned down his carrying in the past few years. Against Everton, he offered these runs from LCB but was so cramped up by fatigue that he had to leave the field in the 75th minute. The need for a more effective, durable weapon at centerback was urgent. Enter Marc Cucurella.

What Cucurella Offers

Cucurella grew up in Alella, a small village 10 minutes from Barcelona, where he played futsal till the age of 7. Watch him closely enough, and you can sometimes see elements of his early education – caressing the ball with the soleplate of his boots, clever dragbacks and flicks, as well as the composure and skill to function in tight spaces.

It was at Getafe, however, where things got interesting. I won’t go too much in depth about Cucurella’s role at Getafe, and even if I did try to, I wouldn’t manage half as well as Sam Gustafson’s excellent piece on Cucurella and System Scaling, which I would consider an essential read. But in essence, Jose Bordalas’ Getafe utilized a high-octane 4-4-2 that relied on a direct style of play, supplemented by claustrophobia-inducing pressing to regain and recover possession in the opposition half. Their ppda (passes per defensive actions) in the 19/20 season was a breathless 6.97, bettered only by PSG in Europe’s top 5 leagues that season. In essence, Getafe were as close to Bielsa’s Leeds as you’d see.

The one thing about Cucurella (deployed as an LM/LWM) that immediately stood out was his freakish athleticism. In his first season at Getafe, he managed 26 pressures/90. If he’d generated that number in the PL last season, that tally would have placed him 5th in the league. He utilized his relentless sprinting to close down opponents and win the ball back.

This high-aggression style matched his individual style of play. Cucurella loves tackling – in the 19/20 season he was the third highest tackler in La Liga with 88, the same number he made last season with Brighton (he finished 9th in the Premier League.) As a result, he also fouled often, notching up 81 fouls in the 19/20 season, the 7th highest tally in La Liga (he committed 75 next season and was 9th.) Unsurprisingly, 3 Getafe players figured in the top 7 foul-committing players in La Liga’s 19/20 and 20/21 season.

When the ball was won back, he was tasked with creating chances for the two forwards from out wide, or to come narrower to offer a more direct threat.

In essence, Cucurella performed a hybrid role at LM involving supplying the forwards from wide and performing defensive duties, ie, a role not too different than a wingback’s role in a back 3. Brighton recognized this, superimposing his Getafe qualities over LWB, albeit in a wildly contrasting system. It was Graham Potter’s decision to move him to CB at the end of the year, however, that proved most intriguing at all.

The CB role

Overlaps

At LCB, Cucurella’s threat benefits from being starting in a deeper, more elusive position. While the player playing in his preferred LWB position (Leandro Trossard/Solly March) is encouraged to take up advanced positions, Cucurella’s dynamism allows him to supplement the WB’s threat when Brighton are in possession. The most frequent ploy is an overlap from CB. When Brighton regain the ball, you can see Cucurella making 60-70 yard sprints on the outside of Trossard. This allows Trossard to gain a 2v1 over the opposing FB in the attacking 3rd – an advantageous position from where he can play cucurella in for a cross, or find more space to execute a directly threatening action. It also makes him an excellent outlet for transitions/counters.

Cucurella’s advanced forays from deep also afford him more space and time compared to most attackers who have defenders as designated markers. This creates its own issues for the opposition. Here for instance, you can see how when Trossard runs inside, he drags the Arsenal defence narrow, leaving Cucurella in space.

In this instance, he offers himself as the wide outlet, drawing the attention of United’s FB, leaving his actual marker, Trossard, free in the half space. The extra time Trossard gets because of this positional advantage leads to a goal.

His off-the-ball brief remains surprisingly similar to his LWB role. His agility and endurance for high-intensity sprints make him valuable at winning the ball back after possession is lost, so he is often engaged in pressing duties in the attacking or middle 3rds, with a CM like Bissouma or Mwepu covering him at LCB.

Positioning

This positioning can also be seen during attacking set-pieces. At 5’8 he isn’t going to be winning many headers, so he maintains a position on the left half-space to recycle any clearances and restart attacks. Cucurella excels in recycling 2nd balls; last season he made 348 recoveries which placed him 18th in the league (the 2nd highest for a FB, only one behind Joao Cancelo). As Brighton’s CBs go up for attack, the CMs are the last two defenders, with Bissouma particularly good at covering in deeper positions.

Recovery Pace

Cucurella himself is no slacker. Part of the reason he is afforded the license to roam from CB is his recovery speed. Even when making the occasional error in judgement, his pace allows him to recover very quickly.

Defensive Actions

In terms of his defensive prowess, he is equally strong. Apart of his high volume and strong tackling, he reads the game well to intercept in the middle and attacking 3rds, while his aggression translates well to defence in how quickly he moves to block efforts.

Aerial Duels

There is, understandably, some concern over his aerial prowess considering his height, but he seems to hold his own at LWB and even LCB. He managed 54% of his aerial duels, doing notably well to cut out launched balls from goalkeepers or balls from the opposition attempting to switch play. I would however, not recommend trusting him with a marking duty on a defensive set-piece.

All-in-all, he is a two-edged sword on the left side of defence, and in the hands of the right wielder, he can be a devastating asset.

Opportunities for Improvement

G/A Output at WB

There is however, scope for improvement. At LWB specifically, Tuchel will demand a higher output in terms of goals and assists, something Cucurella hasn’t managed to in his career before (he has never scored more than 3 goals or delivered more than 5 assists in a single season.) If the hair and penchant for bold positioning is anything to go by, Marcelo would be a good reference point – the Brazilian defender was creating around 50 chances a season during his peak at Real, chipping in with the odd goal. In Chelsea’s system, the WBs are afforded maximum space and time and must maximize this advantage. Even as the 3rd CB, Cucurella will find more time and space than most to make decisions. Fine-tuning his output will go a long way in doing that. He does have the technique to do it, as was seen in the excellent cross he delivered to Raheem Sterling. Then there was the excellent goal he scored against United, while deployed at CB (notice his starting position in the 2nd gif, to stop counters/recover 2nd ball in the half-space.)

Variety in Movement/Positioning

At 24, there’s a lot more Cucurella could add or improve. He is a prolific overlapper, but seldom underlaps (even from WB). More variety in his movement and positioning could help provide a more unpredictable edge. Chilwell and James were both inverted as CMs last season and offered a wider variety of runs in and around the box. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to those requirements at LWB (all his skillsets suggest it won’t be an issue.)

Over-aggression

His aggression, while a major asset, can lead to him making a few erratic decisions that see him get breezed past. Last season he was dribbled past 0.85 times; among Chelsea’s defenders, only Azpi was dribbled past more. Using that aggression more wisely will make him a more complete defender.

Conclusion

All in all, Chelsea have made an excellent signing in Marc Cucurella, who offers an elite option at LWB while also displaying promise as a deceptively effective weapon as a wide CB. With Chilwell still recovering the sharpness he has missed since his ACL injury, Cucurella could start at LWB vs Spurs, but in an ideal scenario, him and Chilwell on the left will offer an excellent long-term all-round fit to Chelsea’s left side. Cucurella also has experience as a wide mid at Getafe, and interestingly, also played at left wing during an unofficial game for Catalonia against Jamaica. If first impressions are anything to go by, there’s a lot to be excited about.