By Marc Cucurella’s personal admission, his first season at Chelsea didn’t go to plan. Amid a torrent of managerial adjustments on the membership, the left-back discovered that the shape which secured strikes from Barcelona, Getafe and Brighton in successive summers didn’t fairly comply with.

But the 25-year-old is making use of the teachings learnt over a tough yr to the present marketing campaign, and factors to mentality as being key.

“I’m not happy with my first season, but I can learn a lot, especially in the bad moments,” he mentioned forward of Chelsea’s match towards Manchester City on Super Sunday, reside on Sky Sports.

“I can learn when I need to manage the head because that is so important in football. Before I came here, I always played and played well and never had problems like this.

“But right here once I got here, I did not play at my stage, I’m somewhat bit annoyed and I can be taught to handle this. Now I can present them that I’m very completely satisfied right here and all of the issues I learnt final season, I can put right here on this season.

“I think this season is better. I’m very good mentally and I think this is one of the important things because if you are good mentally and in your life, I think you can you can play better, you can help the team and you can enjoy this.”

Cucurella has needed to anticipate his alternatives underneath Mauricio Pochettino. He had largely been restricted to Carabao Cup appearances till not too long ago, beginning 4 of the final 5 Premier League matches.

The defender has topped a variety of defensive classes amongst his team-mates in these video games too, together with tackles and headed clearances.

While predominantly a left-back, Cucurella has began on the appropriate this season, typically to fill positions left vacant by harm. The similar could be mentioned for his appearances at centre-back final time period too.

“It is good because if I play more positions, I have more opportunities so this is better for sure,” the defender mentioned.

“I’ve never played on the right and it is not easy. Sometimes you need different things and you need to have time to learn because it’s the same but on the opposite side so you need to change some things.

“I keep in mind the primary minutes [at right-back], I felt somewhat unusual as a result of what I needed to go a method and my physique went to the within, however these are this small particulars. But then with extra minutes, you are able to do this. It is sweet as a result of I attempt to do my finest and do regardless of the supervisor decides.”

Needing to fill spots may sound unusual contemplating the dimensions of Chelsea’s squad. But with so many gamers jostling for simply 11 beginning locations, protecting your self ready is important if you’re not assured of recreation time.

Cucurella mirrored: “It is difficult because all the players want to play, but the most important thing is if you don’t play, you need to train well. If you don’t play and then you don’t train, you won’t be ready then when you have the opportunities.

“So I attempt to do that, coaching to be prepared and I’m ready when I’ve the chance with out stress. When I’ve the chance, I attempt to do my finest, I’ve an excellent stage after which it is our continuity. I’m feeling good and I attempt to assist the staff when the supervisor decides.”

Developing and bettering your self is vital too. Cucurella has solely ever scored one Premier League aim with three assists at each Brighton and Chelsea, and is eager to enhance these statistics.

“I think I can improve a lot of things. I think the first one is scoring goals because I have chances, but I never score,” he added.

“In training, I score a lot, but in the games, I don’t know why [I don’t score]. I think when there is a clear chance, I miss but when the chances is not clear, you score.

“In the last step of the pitch when you need to assist or score goals… sometimes I play a lot and my stats are not very good in these phases.

“Maybe it is probably the most vital issues I can enhance as a result of then if in case you have all of the stats with numerous targets and assists, individuals say that you’ve got an excellent season.”

‘Lots of Chelsea positives from Spurs win’

The left-back’s subsequent probability to enhance these numbers comes on Super Sunday, when Chelsea host Man City. It continues a difficult run of fixtures for the Blues who then play Newcastle, Manchester United and Cucurella’s former facet, Brighton.

Pep Guardiola’s facet have some thanks to present Chelsea for his or her present first place standing within the Premier League, coming by advantage of the Blues’ chaotic 4-1 win towards second-place Tottenham on Monday Night Football.

Cucurella performed within the second half of the sport, when Nicolas Jackson went on to attain a match-winning hat-trick.

“In the first half, I can’t believe what I what I watched,” he mirrored. “On the bench, you can see everything you can do in a game and you saw in these 45 minutes that it was a crazy game and for sure it is better if you win.

“But I think it is very important for us because it gave a lot of confidence. For the fans as well, we know it is a very important game for us, for the team and the club.

“We have numerous constructive issues [from the game] as a result of we got here again, we got here up with a end result and typically, now we have met some issues with this. We may see earlier than that it was not fairly often that we got here again for the end result, so that is vital.

“Then as well, we can suffer because in the first 15 minutes, we didn’t play very well and they played better than us. We suffered together and awaited our chances to score. Then we scored four goals and maybe at the start of the season, we have problems with the scoring goals.

“Nico [Jackson] scored a hat-trick, Reece [James] is back as well and they play a really good game. So we have a lot of a lot of good things.

“We received at an vital membership, one of many greatest golf equipment within the league and now we have three extra factors. Then we’re able to play towards Man City this weekend.

“We know the fixtures are difficult, but I think we can show the level of the team. Sometimes we are not very regular [with results] so we can win and then lose and this is maybe one thing we need to improve.

“Playing against Man City is very difficult, but we come [into the game] with an important win and we have more confidence from this game [against Spurs].

“We will attempt to do our greatest to win this recreation, we all know it is tough however I believe we’re prepared to point out the people who that this staff is able to do good issues.”

How Guardiola helped develop Cucurella

Cucurella has underlying links to Man City manager Guardiola. Both are from the Catalonia region of Spain and came through La Masia. The Chelsea defender joined the famed Barcelona academy in 2012 as Guardiola departed as men’s first team manager.

While the pair did not cross paths at the club, Cucurella has credited Guardiola’s influence across Barcelona for helping his own improvement as a young player.

The 25-year-old defined: “He changed the mentality at Barcelona. Before Guardiola, Barcelona were a good team and when he came, they changed the philosophy, they played amazing football – I think one of the best teams in the history of football. They played at another level.

“The philosophy within the Barcelona academy modified as a result of all of the groups, they play the identical fashion, the identical formation with the identical mentality and I believe this is excellent.

“We can see they do the same here at Manchester City. The team plays really well and they have good things to show, every year they change some things to try to improve on this.

“I haven’t got a relationship with him, I’ve seen him at some occasions and I can communicate somewhat bit with him. He’s an excellent particular person.

“Not for me personally but in my academy stage, they showed me a lot because they changed their mentality and a lot of things I can learnt are from his ideas that he brought to Barcelona.”

At the age of 25, Cucurella has loads of time to make the development he needs. Having had influences reminiscent of Guardiola and now Pochettino to information the best way, the left-back’s potential to be taught and enhance on his first season at Chelsea is already taking form.

Watch Chelsea vs Man City on Super Sunday live on Sky Sports Premier League from 4pm; kick-off 4.30pm.