The Frenchman says his hard work on the training pitch has been paying off at the start of the 2020-21 campaign
Chelsea goal hero Kurt Zouma has expressed delight at his impact from set-pieces, saying he knows he “can be a threat” in the opposition penalty area.
Zouma notched his fourth goal of the season during Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Leeds United on Saturday night.
Patrick Bamford gave the visitors a surprise lead when he rounded Edouard Mendy before tapping into an empty net with just four minutes on the clock. Chelsea hit back just before the half-hour mark when Olivier Giroud turned home a Reece James cross at the near post, ensuring that the two sides went in level at the break.
The hosts pushed hardest for the winning goal in the second period, and were rewarded for their efforts when Zouma headed past Illan Meslier after rising highest to meet a Mason Mount corner in the 61st minute.
Substitute Christian Pulisic rounded off the scoring in stoppage time after being teed up by Timo Werner, leaving the Blues now sitting top of the table after 11 fixtures, albeit having played a game more than Tottenham and Liverpool.
Zouma’s contribution in the final third has been greater than expected in the early stages of the season, and the Frenchman says his improved output is down to the hard work he’s been putting in on the training pitch.
“I’m trying to help the team as much as I can. I know I can be a threat from set-pieces. I work hard in training and I have got the technical staff to help me with that,” the 26-year-old told Chelsea’s official website. “We know this season we can score many goals, from open play but also set-pieces. It’s working at the minute but we have to keep going like that.”
Zouma added on the Blues’ latest victory: “Everyone is happy. We knew it was going to be difficult. Leeds are a great team and they scored very early in the game, but we kept the belief and kept playing our game.
“We deserved more in the first half, we had more chances, but it finished 3-1 and, by the way, I’m happy to score another goal!
Asked how it felt to see supporters make their long-awaited return amid the coronavirus pandemic, Zouma responded: “It was nice to hear some noise from the crowd and see them back at Stamford Bridge. They gave us a lot of support. Hopefully the stadium will be full as soon as possible so we can keep celebrating together.”
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