1 hour ago
2
Benoit Badiashile and Marc Cucurella have both jumped to the defence of their new Chelsea teammate Alejandro Garnacho and have backed the Argentine to make a big impact in his debut season at Stamford Bridge.
The 21-year-old winger was signed for £40million in the summer after the Blues reached an agreement with Manchester United for his signature. Garnacho, along with Jamie Gittens, was one of two left-sided wingers to arrive in SW6 but both of them have had somewhat of a slow start with their new club.
Gittens has failed to show his promise just yet in Chelsea colours, while Garnacho has been able to provide glimpses while looking to increase his fitness levels. Due to the Argentine's situation at Old Trafford, he barely had a pre-season under Ruben Amorim and it has been up to Enzo Maresca and his Chelsea staff to get Garnacho to the right level in that regard.
Tuesday evening's win against Benfica saw Garnacho play a huge part in the only goal of the game at Stamford Bridge. Pedro Neto found the former United attacker at the far post with a delightful cross and Garnacho then met the ball on the volley to try and force it back across goal. Fortunately for him, it hit Benfica midfielder Richard Rios and deflected into his own goal.
"Yes [impressed with Garnacho], tonight we started with Garna, that probably was the first game that he started," Maresca said post-match. "Ty [George] as a No.9, and we know that he's not a No.9, Facu Buonanotte played an important role tonight. That's why for me tonight is a nice feeling that it was important to win for different reasons.
"Injuries and the players that they are new with us. Garna was very good. I think Gittens also, he tried in the last 20 minutes when he was on. Both are going to be better and better game after game."
It was Garnacho's second start and fourth appearance for the Blues in all competitions this season. Many supporters were divided when he joined in the summer given his up and down time at Manchester United, but his new teammates still believe he has a lot more to offer.
"We all know Alejandro is a top player," said Badiashile after Chelsea's win against Benfica earlier in the week. "He will help us a lot this season, and we're also trying to help him get fit and improve."
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Meanwhile, Cucurella shares a similar feeling: "He is a very important player with a lot of qualities. It is true in the league that we had 10 men a lot and it is difficult to put on a winger because we have mostly been defending.
"I think today [against Benfica] he had an opportunity and showed his level and that he can help the team. He had a really good game and I hope he can do it again on Saturday [against Liverpool]."
It is a big call for Maresca to make ahead of Saturday's Premier League showdown with Liverpool. In the Premier League, Garnacho is yet to make a start, while Gittens has only made two. Neto, traditionally a right winger, has been used on the left quite frequently thus far this season and Maresca could go for his tried and trusted at Stamford Bridge.
Neto's work rate makes him a viable option on the left-hand side, while there have been question marks over Garnacho's defensive ability in his early days with the club. Estevao Willian impressed when coming on against Benfica on Tuesday, with the Brazilian being used as the No.10, but he could return to the right-hand side for the visit of the Reds.
English (US) ·