Slowly but surely, the Blues are finally seeing a return on their £89 million investment – but the flying winger still has a long way to go
As an emotional Mykhailo Mudryk clasped his hands to his face in disbelief at Craven Cottage, the sense of relief in the dugout, the away end and for those watching on at home was palpable. Eight-and-a-half months on from his stunning £89 million ($107m) move to Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk, the winger had found the back of the net in competitive action.
Controlling Levi Colwill's pass expertly, Mudryk sprinted through and fired a shot between the legs of Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno. The ensuing scenes of jubilation were testament to his hard work and popularity among the Blues' squad.
This was not a flash in the pan, though – the kind of false dawn Chelsea supporters have become accustomed to with misfiring, expensive attacking signings – but rather the culmination of months of graft, and – hopefully – the beginning of a new chapter.
Mudryk is finally beginning to show his potential in a Chelsea shirt, and under Mauricio Pochettino's tutelage he stands a real chance of shaking off that nagging tag of 'expensive flop'.
Getty ImagesFitness undoubtedly an issue
With an £89m price tag and a burgeoning reputation, Mudryk was unfairly expected to hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge, and in truth he's been fighting a losing battle ever since.
He played his final game for Shakhtar Donetsk almost two months before signing for Chelsea in mid-January, which means he almost certainly wasn't match fit as Graham Potter eased him into the team in the subsequent weeks.
If the winger was already playing catch-up, that was compounded by the fact that overall fitness levels suffered badly during the second half of last season, with both Graham Potter and Frank Lampard failing to juggle a bloated 30-man squad.
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It's no surprise, then, that a full pre-season under notoriously tough trainer Pochettino has done him the world of good. While his minutes have still been managed somewhat, he looks stronger and fitter. But that isn't just down to his head coach.
By all accounts, Mudryk is putting in an absolute shift off the pitch, and his hard work has been rewarded. It has even been reported that the Ukrainian's team-mates have been taken aback by his relentless work ethic, as he spends endless hours in the gym with a personal trainer working on his strength and speed.
Indeed, Chelsea have even decided to put some boundaries in place – reducing his extra strength training in a bid to aid his conditioning.
Handled with care by Pochettino
It's easy to forget that this is a player whose career is still in its infancy, despite his exorbitant transfer fee; Mudryk had made just 65 first-team appearances before completing a life-altering transfer to Chelsea – many of which were as a substitute.
He was thrown in at the deep end without a real period of adaptation by Potter, who was desperately seeking a solution to his side's troubles back in January, making his debut just shy of two months after his last competitive game. When it became evident that he wouldn't hit the ground running, he swiftly became a bit-part player.
Pochettino – a manager with a reputation for developing and improving young players – has adopted a wholly different approach. The wide man has been eased into the team, with his minutes gradually increasing and performances gradually improving.
The Argentine has worked one-on-one with 'Misha', even playing crossbar challenge with him in a bid to build his confidence, and is insistent on taking things "very slowly". Having opened his account for the club, Mudryk revealed on his Instagram story that his manager had gifted him a copy of Guillem Balague's book 'Brave New World', about Pochettino's Tottenham team that includes contributions from the manager. They are both beginning to reap the rewards of their blossoming relationship.
mmudryk10 Instagram
"We need to understand that young people need time and need to settle," Pochettino said after Mudryk capped his recent upswing by slotting home his first competitive goal for the Blues. It’s about adaptation. It’s a big change when Mudryk arrived here and when you arrive at a team, it’s not easy to settle in a team that isn’t solid. He wasn’t the cherry on the cake, they needed to add something to the team.
"It’s about time, having patience, trusting these young talented players, building confidence. It’s a big job, step by step. Sometimes people don’t have the patience but for us it’s about having the patience."
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Before his well-taken goal at Craven Cottage, Mudryk had looked more likely to assist a goal than score one himself. He's often been Chelsea's most creative player in a period where they have been bereft of ideas.
The most encouraging aspect of his game in the opening weeks of the season has been his vision and ability to pick out a team-mate in a threatening position, with the early signs of a developing understanding with striker Nicolas Jackson.
The 22-year-old has played five key passes in the league, and has an average xA (expected assists) of 0.8. All of which means he is already well on his way to matching his contributions from last season.
A whipped through ball to play Jackson in against Aston Villa was particularly eye-catching, but the Senegal international was unable to snaffle up the chance. His combination with the centre-forward could and perhaps should have yielded an assist against Bournemouth, too.