Mykhailo Mudryk’s confidence is gradually returning, but fixing his game’s shortcomings will be essential to his long-term success.
The 23-year-old winger was back among the goals in a vital 3-2 FA Cup victory over Leeds on Tuesday, under both individual and group pressure. To earn extra time and go to this month’s Cup quarterfinal against Leicester, the Ukrainian gave his boss, Mauricio Pochettino, cause for concern with an outstanding volleyed strike.
It’s been a difficult February, but Mudryk stood up when necessary.
He was one of Chelsea’s high-profile new arrivals, having signed an £88 million contract to replace Shakhtar Donetsk 13 months earlier. Following the team’s loss in the Carabao Cup Final on Sunday, Sky Sports analyst Gary Neville called the players “billion-pound bottlejobs”.
With only 10 touches of the ball and no influence in extra time, Mudryk was maybe most responsible for the outcome as Liverpool’s academy players outperformed Chelsea to take back control of the game and win 1-0. Mudryk did not see action as a substitute in three superb Chelsea away performances before the loss at Wembley.
With that in mind, he knew that he wouldn’t necessarily start against Leeds, but he took a gamble after being chosen for the No. 10 position. His quick dashes, deft passes, and potent shooting were all highlights of a fantastic first-half display.
To counter a resurgent Leeds team, he switched to the left wing in the second half. Early in the second half, Mudryk attempted to grab a pass that Robert Sanchez had overhit, but Pochettino stopped him from falling into the advertising hoardings.
Mudryk is Pochettino’s pet project because of his sincere admiration for the player. He’s smiling more, coming out of his shell, and forming relationships in the locker room thanks to the Argentine. But when necessary, he has also offered criticism.
“He has an amazing talent but needs to understand that he needs to play football, and football is a collective sport; you need to put your talent in service of the team,” remarked Pochettino. “At this level, you need to work with and without the ball.”
The issue facing Mudryk is inexperience. Mikel Arteta himself pushed for his transfer from Arsenal, where he only played 73 professional matches before joining Chelsea. Six months prior, Saturday’s opponents Brentford had a club-record £26 million bid rejected, and Brighton, who also have an excellent scouting apparatus, kept their eye on him.
However, he was affected by his reputation as the “Ukrainian Neymar” at home. He hardly had to defend at Shakhtar; in the Premier League, every player has to fit into the system and contribute to the development of attacks, press, and technically and tactically sound defense. The main reason Mudryk has only played two complete 90 minutes in 44 games is that he is unable to do it. If he wants to play more minutes, he needs to become familiar with the tactical and nasty aspects of the game.
Ben Mee’s probable season-ending injury increases Brentford’s pressure on Nathan Collins to perform well.
Since leaving Wolves for £23 million, Collins has had difficulty adjusting, and only Wes Foderingham of Sheffield United has made more mistakes this season than his four single mistakes that have resulted in League goals.
However, the 22-year-old will likely start tomorrow in a makeshift back-three with Mathias Jorgensen and Kristoffer Ajer, and he will have to start proving to Thomas Frank why he was so eager to sign him.