Marc Cucurella has heaped praise on Chelsea duo Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Jackson, describing the pair as important parts of Enzo Maresca's side.

Both players have been vital parts of the Blues' improved form this season, with the west Londoners currently fourth in the Premier League and showing clear signs of progression under Maresca. Caicedo, who moved to Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion for £115million in August 2023, has been incredibly consistent this campaign and is starting to show why the Blues forked out so much money for him.

"He is very important," Cucurella told Chelsea's official website when asked about Caicedo’s strong form. "I knew him at Brighton as well, as we were team-mates there.

READ MORE: Chelsea will complete next transfer weeks after deadline day as confusing £17m decision explained

READ MORE: Joao Felix's nine-word Chelsea statement and how Cole Palmer blocked it from coming true

"He is very important, he is very relaxed. He shows everything on the pitch, he’s very hard-working and he’s a very important piece for us. I think he’s one of the main talents of the team and he shows every game what he can give to us. We’re really happy for him and I’m really happy because I know his first games here were tough as well, but he worked really hard and now he deserves all these moments."

The left-back also highlighted the importance of Jackson, who has scored nine goals in 24 appearances this term. The striker, signed for £32million in 2023, has found scoring a tad more difficult in recent weeks, however, but Cucurella is backing his team-mate to turn his form around.

The Spaniard said: "For all strikers it is important to score and Nico gives a lot to the team. He presses very well, he does good movements for other players, it’s all part of football.

"Everyone needs to have a tough moment during the season, but the important thing is we are with him. He is playing a lot so, for sure, if he continues training like this he can score goals in the games."

Cucurella also opened up on the importance of Chelsea's fans when playing at Stamford Bridge, with teams now often playing a low block when they visit west London. "We came from a tough moment but Monday [against West Ham] was very important for us, being at home and getting three points," added the defender.

"I think we deserved it, the team showed our character because we were losing at half-time and we could come back. We had to suffer again, but it was a really important win. Now the teams that come here just to defend and play on the counter-attack, so it’s difficult. To attack against 10 or 11 players behind the ball is difficult, but we need to stick with our plan and stay patient, because in the end on Monday we stayed with our plan and could come back in the game.

"It is very important because I think teams are starting to respect us, they know that maybe they cannot play face-to-face against us, they maybe need to go to a defensive system, play a defensive game. But this is part of us doing things well, so we are happy and we need to play against this.

"For sure the support is very important, one of the most important things in the club. When they help us we feel more confident, like we play with an extra man. The direction of the team is very good, after the first goal they showed their love, their passion and we could score another one, and they helped us as well at the end.

"So we are really happy. All of us, the players and the fans, we need to create a good relationship and then we need to have our stadium being a difficult place to come for the other teams."