The Scot stole the show with a sublime strike that dealt Barcelona a first home defeat in five years – but she's been in top form for a while now
When Ajax captain Sherida Spitse sat down to speak to the press after her side’s Women’s Champions League exit at Stamford Bridge last month, she could not help but praise one of the figures that had been key in Chelsea’s 4-1 aggregate win. It was not the highly-lauded Lauren James, record-breaking signing Mayra Ramirez or any of the Blues’ most well-recognised stars. Instead, her comments were reserved for Erin Cuthbert, the unsung hero of Emma Hayes’ side.
“I’m walking around the pitch with a smile on my face because of how she is playing,” Spitse said. “Of course, she is our opponent, but how she is playing is nice.”
Hayes’ response when the comments were put to her summed up how the Scotland international is viewed by those who work with her every day. “Erin Cuthbert is one of the best players in the world, she really is,” her manager added. “She is a top, top midfielder and she deserves that credit. I’m not surprised Sherida said that about her to be honest.”
Cuthbert’s outstanding goal in the first leg of Chelsea’s semi-final against Barcelona has only added to her stock. The 25-year-old demanded the ball on the edge of the box, quickly found Sjoeke Nusken in the area and then moved to make herself available for the pass again, sneaking in beyond Patri Guijarro before finding half a yard to fire a wonderful strike past Cata Coll.
It was decisive, dealing the European champions a first home defeat in five years and giving Chelsea a shock advantage ahead of Saturday’s second leg at Stamford Bridge. It was also a statement contribution on the biggest stage, one that should show everyone just what Spitse and Hayes were talking about in the last round of this Champions League campaign.
GettyThe right role
Cuthbert hasn’t suddenly found this level in the last few weeks, though. The Scot has been superb for the past couple of seasons following a positional switch. Chelsea were crying out for a battling, deep-lying midfielder and, after operating in several different roles in her time in London to that point, Cuthbert was the player Hayes turned to for that duty in pre-season two years ago.
She had previous experience in the middle of the park, playing there in her homeland before joining Chelsea as a teenager, so it wasn’t completely new. However, the former Glasgow City star had more recently been playing as a wing-back in England and, as such, it was going to take some readjustment.
“During the [2021-22] season, I got thrown in [midfield] and didn’t really have a lot of time to work on it,” Cuthbert told at the time of the switch. “This pre-season, it’s actually been a blessing the Euros happening for me. I had a lot of one-to-one time to solidify and nail down that position and get to know the ins and outs of it. When we went on the pre-season tour, it was really good. I’m finally glad the time has come.
"It was a big reason in [my] contract renewal. I wanted to be a midfielder. I know that I’m best in midfield. You know as a player where you feel most comfortable, where you feel best and I feel that midfield is my home and I want to prove that to everybody.”
AdvertisementGettyPerfect fit
She’s certainly proved it in the 18 months or so since. Cuthbert has made the No.6 role her own with a well-rounded blend of tenacity, quality in possession and attacking intent. In fact, the stats show how brilliantly she impacts the game in all areas. In the Women’s Super League this season, the Scot leads the way for Chelsea in tackles won and interceptions made, she’s second for the number of times she has regained possession and sits just outside the top five for aerial duels won. That shows the important battling qualities she brings to the role.
In possession, she’s third for touches, successful passes in general and those that go into the final third, showcasing her influence on the ball. But the latter is a glimpse at how she still affects things in the attack, even if she’s moved into a slightly more reserved role. Cuthbert ranks fourth for chances created and joint-fifth for shots on target, boasting eight goals in all competitions.
After being deployed in various positions over the years, she has found her home in this Chelsea side, and the place where she can have her biggest and best influence for one of the best teams in Europe.
Getty Images'Form of her career'
Hayes agrees. “She’s definitely in the form of her career at Chelsea,” she said of Cuthbert earlier this season. “I think she drives the midfield and she has been so consistent with that. She is getting more and more confident in all areas of the midfield play, where we’ve worked on with her. She’s fearless.”
It suits the approach that Cuthbert has to football, too, which is being on the front foot and in the thick of the action. “I like to be involved. I like to find the trouble. I like the chaos, so I go and find it in the game,” she told . "The problem at wing-back is that you rely on the ball coming to you. In midfield, you can go and get the ball, whether it is on the left or the right. If you are a right wing-back and it is on the left, you are not involved.
"You have to be open to learn,” she added of her time in other roles. “As disappointed as I was that I was not playing in midfield, it has taught me a lot. Playing in all of these different positions has taught me to have an appreciation and a better knowledge of the game. A lot of it in midfield is reading the game. I have more experience now than the average person my age given the number and the calibre of games that I have played in as well. When I play midfield now, I have better game knowledge, better understanding."
GettyBecoming a leader
All of that has helped Cuthbert grow into one of the leaders on this team, too, with her regularly sporting the captain’s armband in the absence of usual skipper Millie Bright this season.
You only have to hear Cuthbert speak to understand why she suits this sort of role. After beating Arsenal earlier this season, the midfielder spoke about how “fired up” she was for the game. When asked more on why, her response showed how much responsibility she feels on the pitch. “I have a very good memory of the last game (a 4-1 defeat) and I know that certainly the midfield battle was won by them,” she replied. “I take that quite personally as a player.”
