Mykhaylo Mudryk is a man on a mission to prove his doubters wrong at Chelsea and his blistering pace can be his biggest asset in leaving defenders in tatters. The Ukrainian winger is looking for a second lease at life under Mauricio Pochettino at the club and made a brilliant impression with his impressive second-half outing in the 4-3 win over Brighton on Saturday, July 22.
The 22-year-old winger is coming off the back of an underwhelming first season at Stamford Bridge, where he only delivered two assists in 17 games. That is not good enough for a player signed for over £60 million and he knows that very well. As a result, it appears that the Ukraine international has genuinely worked on his shortcomings and gained more confidence in the summer.
Even though he only started the Brighton game from the bench, Mudryk was determined to prove his quality after being brought on in the second half. The young winger put his side into the lead with an amazing goal in the 65th minute thanks to some impressive link-up play with Chelsea new boy Nicolas Jackson.
Mudryk leaves Brighton defenders in the mud with brilliant run
But he refused to let down his tempo after that and kept performing at an optimum level against the tired Brighton defenders. Despite his topsy-turvy performances last season, there is no denying that Mudryk’s pace is among the most dangerous skills in his arsenal.
In fact, last season, Wesley Fofana stated in an interview that Mudryk is the fastest player he’s personally faced in training – ranking him to be even more electric than Kylian Mbappe! Well, the 22-year-old winger proved why his Chelsea teammate wasn’t joking with a moment of sheer genius towards the end of the Brighton game.
With the Blues already sailing on a 4-2 lead, the winger was determined to help put on a show for the fans and help his side score more. He received the ball deep in the left wing and positioned a long way away from the penalty box. Instead of passing it, Mudryk decided to take on the two Brighton players that were trying to close him down.
He decided to move towards the byline and purposefully overhit a pass to send the ball well beyond him towards the opposition goal line. Just when it looked like the ball would go out of play, Mudryk made an incredible sprint that would even impress Olympic sprinters.
Chelsea fans go gaga with Mudryk’s skill
The winger covered a long distance in a matter of seconds, showcasing flash-like speed to get to the ball and then cross it to the box. Even though he didn’t create a big chance, Mudryk’s blistering show of speed showed why he is highly rated by many within Chelsea.
If you don’t see it yet, you’ll see it soon. Mudryk’s talent has been there since the first game against Liverpool, we’ve seen flashes, and now I believe Pochettino is the manager to bring consistency and confidence to his game. pic.twitter.com/0eF4NZBczZ
Fans were really impressed with what they saw from Mudryk and how he left multiple Brighton players, including defender Tariq Lamptey gasping for air. The Ukraine international needs to keep himself focused and bring this form into the regular season to earn a starting role in Pochettino’s Chelsea and prove why he’s well worth all the money the club paid for him.
