"Dude was a beast", "Different player from a year ago" - Fans praise Chelsea star for his showing in 1-1 Arsenal draw

Chelsea fans on X have lavished praise on Marc Cucurella after he impressed during the side’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal. The two sides clashed in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, November 10.

The Blues continued their fine form this season under manager Enzo Maresca as they held the Gunners to a stalemate. The two teams failed to take their chances as the first half ended goalless.

However, Gabriel Martinelli broke the deadlock with a cool finish to beat Robert Sanchez at his near post in the 60th minute. Chelsea responded 10 minutes later through Pedro Neto. The Portuguese winger delivered a strike from outside the box to beat David Raya in goal.

Marc Cucurella stood out in the London derby, putting in a resolute performance against Arsenal's Bukayo Saka.

As per Squawka Live on X, Cucurella made three tackles, three interceptions, and won possession thrice during the match. He made two clearances, one block, and was not dribbled past even once. Additionally, he won 4/6 duels and completed 36/39 passes.

Cucurella's performances have witnessed a significant improvement since the start of the 2024-25 season. The 26-year-old has featured in all but one league game for the Blues this season.

One fan posted:

“If maresca should bench cucurella again,I go protest..dude was a beast.”

Another fan wrote:

“Cucurella’s turnaround continues to amaze me, completely different player from a year ago.”

Several fans lauded the defender's performance against Arsenal's Bukayo Saka on the flank.

“Cucurella completely owned Saka and sent him out of the match,” a fan wrote.

“Cucurella must take Saka out his pocket before he leaves the stadium today! Bathong!” another fan said.

“Cucurella is unarguably the best LB in the premier league. Bro completely pocketed Saka!,” a third fan claimed.

"The Marc Cucurella redemption arc is incredible. From a player who should have been sold for his poor performances each week to a player who is easily one of the first names on the team sheet each week for his excellent performances,” another fan commented.

"I enjoyed it, absolutely" - Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca on his side’s performance against Arsenal

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said he was impressed with his side’s performance in their 1-1 draw against Arsenal. Speaking after the game, Maresca said (via the BBC):

"I enjoyed it, absolutely. The performance was good. We know them quite well and we competed pretty well. The performance is very important for us in this moment and it was good. We can rest now and go again.”

The Blues have now recorded consecutive 1-1 draws in the Premier League after last week's stalemate with Manchester United at Old Trafford. They are third in the league with 19 points after 11 games, four points behind Manchester City in second place and nine points behind table toppers Liverpool.

Notably, the Cityzens and the Reds are the only teams that have defeated Chelsea in the league this season.