Chelsea’s first signing of the summer wasn’t a player but a key tactical figure—set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva, who joined from Brentford.
In March, it was reported that Chelsea agreed to pay Brentford a compensation fee between £750,000 and £1 million for Cueva’s services. He officially moved to Stamford Bridge a few months later, becoming Chelsea’s first set-piece coach since Antony Barry followed Thomas Tuchel to Bayern Munich in April 2023.
Cueva, who joined Brentford in July 2020, quickly built a reputation for his expertise. During the 2022/23 season, Brentford scored 16 goals from set-pieces—second only to Liverpool. His success didn’t go unnoticed, prompting Chelsea to secure his services.
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This season, Chelsea has already netted five goals from set-pieces, placing them among the top five Premier League teams in this category. Arsenal leads the way with eight goals from dead-ball situations, thanks to their own set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover.
Interestingly, both Jover and Cueva share a connection with Brentford. Jover spent three years with the Bees before moving on to Manchester City and later Arsenal in 2021. His impact at the Emirates has been significant, and Chelsea now hopes Cueva can deliver similar results at Stamford Bridge.
As Chelsea prepares to face Cueva’s former club, Brentford, on Sunday evening, the coach will be eager to prove his value by helping his new side capitalize on his set-piece expertise.