Slowly but surely, the Blues are finally seeing a return of their £89 million investment on Mykhailo Mudryk.
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 finally 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 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.
However, under Mauricio Pochettino’s tutelage he stands a real chance of shaking off that nagging tag of ‘expensive flop’.
Fitness 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.
This 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.
Working Overtime
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.
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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.
