Glenn Hoddle warns Chelsea not to write one team off in top five race
Glenn Hoddle feels there are more twists and turns to come in the race for the top five (Picture: PLP) Glenn Hoddle has warned Chelsea there are more twists and turns to come in the race for the top five in the Premier League, despite last night’s 1-0 win over Manchester United. Enzo Maresca’s side bounced back from last weekend’s damaging defeat at Newcastle and secure a vital three points thanks to Marc Cucurella’s second half header. The Blues have just one game remaining and are likely to require a win at Nottingham Forest on the final day to secure Champions League qualification. Forest, themselves, still have a slim chance of qualifying for Europe’s elite club competition but have run out of steam in recent weeks. Indeed, with just one win in their last six games, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have fallen to seventh in the table ahead of Sunday’s game against West Ham. Get personalised updates on Chelsea every day Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. Hoddle, however, has sounded a note of caution and fears Forest could still have a major say in a fascinating battle with the likes of Arsenal, Newcastle, Manchester City and Aston Villa. He told Premier League productions: ‘I wouldn’t count Forest out yet, you never what you’re going to get with West Ham. Who will finish in the top five? Chelsea are predicted to have a 60% chance of Marc Cucurella scored the only goal of the game in Chelsea’s win over Man Utd (Picture: Getty) ‘Forest could go to West Ham and get a result and if they get a result they’re then at home and that place they’ll get rocking against Chelsea. ‘They’ve not been great away from home, they’ve done great at home Chelsea but away they’ve got a bit of a soft belly at the moment. ‘I wouldn’t cast them 100% out at the minute, it’s going to go to the wire, it really is. Goal difference is going to play a big, big part in it.’ Ezno Maresca hails Marc Cucurella Chelsea have their top five fate in their own hands (Picture: Getty) Maresca, meanwhile, pointed to Cucurella’s Barcelona connections after the defender’s decisive contribution against United. Until the full-back’s goal, Maresca’s side were heading into the final day of the campaign needing results elsewhere to go their way, after Aston Villa had briefly climbed above them by beating Tottenham in the earlier kick-off. ‘Very nice, the assist from the right full-back, the goal from the left full-back,’ said Maresca. ‘It’s the way I like to play. ‘Marc has already scored similar goals against Brentford and Wolves. He was in the right position at the right moment. ‘It’s not about how big you are or how small or tall. He is an intelligent player and he is helping us with goals.’ Cucurella has been Chelsea’s most improved player this season and looks transformed from the uncertain, error-prone defender that arrived from Brighton for £56million in 2022.
Glenn Hoddle has warned Chelsea there are more twists and turns to come in the race for the top five in the Premier League, despite last night’s 1-0 win over Manchester United.
Enzo Maresca’s side bounced back from last weekend’s damaging defeat at Newcastle and secure a vital three points thanks to Marc Cucurella’s second half header.
The Blues have just one game remaining and are likely to require a win at Nottingham Forest on the final day to secure Champions League qualification.
Forest, themselves, still have a slim chance of qualifying for Europe’s elite club competition but have run out of steam in recent weeks.
Indeed, with just one win in their last six games, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have fallen to seventh in the table ahead of Sunday’s game against West Ham.
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Hoddle, however, has sounded a note of caution and fears Forest could still have a major say in a fascinating battle with the likes of Arsenal, Newcastle, Manchester City and Aston Villa.
He told Premier League productions: ‘I wouldn’t count Forest out yet, you never what you’re going to get with West Ham.
Who will finish in the top five?
‘Forest could go to West Ham and get a result and if they get a result they’re then at home and that place they’ll get rocking against Chelsea.
‘They’ve not been great away from home, they’ve done great at home Chelsea but away they’ve got a bit of a soft belly at the moment.
‘I wouldn’t cast them 100% out at the minute, it’s going to go to the wire, it really is. Goal difference is going to play a big, big part in it.’
Ezno Maresca hails Marc Cucurella
Maresca, meanwhile, pointed to Cucurella’s Barcelona connections after the defender’s decisive contribution against United.
Until the full-back’s goal, Maresca’s side were heading into the final day of the campaign needing results elsewhere to go their way, after Aston Villa had briefly climbed above them by beating Tottenham in the earlier kick-off.
‘Very nice, the assist from the right full-back, the goal from the left full-back,’ said Maresca. ‘It’s the way I like to play.
‘Marc has already scored similar goals against Brentford and Wolves. He was in the right position at the right moment.
‘It’s not about how big you are or how small or tall. He is an intelligent player and he is helping us with goals.’
Cucurella has been Chelsea’s most improved player this season and looks transformed from the uncertain, error-prone defender that arrived from Brighton for £56million in 2022.
If his goal to defeat United contributes to Champions League qualification he will have gone a long way towards repaying that fee, and the faith shown in him by successive Chelsea managers.
A product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, he made only one senior appearance for the Catalan club in a Copa del Rey fixture before being sold to Getafe in 2020, moving to the Amex Stadium a year later.
‘He has a background with Barcelona so he grew up in a club where the philosophy that I like is similar,’ said Maresca.
‘So the reason he is doing so good with us is because we know what he can do. The way we like to play is exactly the way that is good for him.
‘It’s not important how big you are, it’s important to understand where you have to be, the position, the moment.’
