The vibes at Stamford Bridge couldn’t be more positive, as Chelsea seem to have left the hiccups of last season far behind. With five consecutive league wins, the Blues now sit second in the table, just two points behind leaders Liverpool. While Liverpool remain favorites, Chelsea are shaping up to be serious contenders in the title race.
One player who’s himself had a turnaround in fortunes is Marc Cucurella. The Spanish defender endured a challenging spell last season, but a standout performance at the Euros this summer appears to have transformed him into a completely different player.
On Sunday, against Brentford, Cucurella added a second goal to his Chelsea tally, while also scoring his first Premier League goal for the Blues in 60 appearances.
The timing of Cucurella’s goal couldn’t have been better, coming just before halftime in Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Brentford. Rising to meet a sublime cross from Noni Madueke, Cucurella headed the ball into the net, giving Chelsea the lead and momentum in the game. However, it wasn’t just the goal that stole the spotlight; it was the celebrations that followed.
After his goal, Cucurella celebrated with a playful penguin waddle, a gesture that fans quickly associated with his infamous “slipping” incident from the previous week’s clash against Tottenham.
In that game, the Spaniard’s struggles with traction became a viral moment, with Cucurella posting a picture of those very Puma Future 8 boots in the bin after the game and adding a comment “Sorry Blues” apologizing to the fans. While such a post would be a big hit for any brand, Puma and Cucurella made the most of it by launching an advertisement campaign with Cucurella wearing the boots and the image captioned, “It’s not how you slip, it’s how you bounce back.”
Adding to the penguin waddle celebrations, Cucurella celebrated with Noni Madueke as well, throwing up “gang signs” along with the winger. Cucurella later took to Instagram, posting a picture of him and Noni celebrating together and captioning it “Mandem,” which is British slang for a close group of boys or friends.
The post was a hit among fans, who have affectionately nicknamed Chelsea “Mandem FC” for their camaraderie and youthful swagger. Some even joked that this goal was Cucurella’s true initiation into the club.
Despite the celebrations of victory, the match ended on a bittersweet note for Cucurella. After the final whistle, he received a second yellow card for a seemingly unnecessary outburst, ruling him out of Chelsea’s upcoming clash against Everton.
