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AC Milan legend Andriy Shevchenko is confident that his compatriot Mykhailo Mudryk will eventually come good for Chelsea, despite the Ukrainian's underwhelming start in the Premier League so far.
Shevchenko played at Chelsea from 2006-07 to 2007-08. He made 77 appearances, scoring 22 goals. Additionally, he was instrumental in the Blues winning the FA Cup and League Cup during his first season at the club.
The Stamford Bridge faithful were hopeful that £89 million signing Mudryk would turn around their fortunes under Graham Potter. The 22-year-old joined in January from Shakhtar Donetsk, making him the most expensive Ukrainian footballer of all time.
However, Mudryk has failed to impress since his debut for Chelsea and has yet to score a goal in eight appearances so far. He failed to impress yesterday (April 1) during the Blues' 2-0 loss to Aston Villa in the Premier League.
He missed two big chances to put his side ahead, made zero successful dribbles and only made 21 touches before being substituted early in the second half. Despite his struggles, Shevchenko has backed Mudryk to turn things around. He spoke to BBC Sport:
"Chelsea have bought a talented player when he is very young, for the future. He's just starting his path in a massive football career. He's part of an ambitious project. He's in good hands. The decision to get him right now was down to how much the club believe in his talent."
Chelsea's loss last night ensured they remain in 11th place in the Premier League with just 38 points from 28 games. Mudryk will get another opportunity to impress this Tuesday (April 4) as the Blues get set to host Liverpool in a Premier League home clash.
Chelsea manager Graham Potter states reasons why the Blues lost to Aston Villa
Graham Potter believes the Blues weren't good enough in both boxes compared to Villa and that a lack of concentration led to their 10th defeat of the season in the Premier League.
He spoke to the club's media in a post-match press conference (via Chelsea FC):
"In both boxes we were second best. The first goal for them is disappointing and we need to do better. There were a lot of good things in the game, a lot of attacking play, entries and a lot of shots. If you look at the stats, it was positive."
He added:
"The boys gave everything in the game. Their intentions were there, they showed personality and tried. Ultimately, you need to defend better than we did. I am responsible for that, and we will look at it and do better."
The home side dominated in terms of stats as they had 69% possession compared to Villa's 31%. Moreover, they also had 27 shots to Villa's five, however, they failed to convert any of their chances created into goals.
Ollie Watkins and John McGinn each scored to ensure Unai Emery's side ascended to the top half of the table to ninth place, with 41 points from 28 games. This was their first victory at Stamford Bridge since 2011.
