Chelsea's set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva sits in the same seat every game at Stamford Bridge: the last row of the dugout, closest to the tunnel, at the top of a staircase he can climb down when you win a corner to choreograph. some chaos.
Next to Cueva is a screen that simultaneously shows four alternative angles of the live action, giving you a great overview of who is where. He gets his steps running between that device and the technical area, in constant communication with Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca.
Cueva is an intelligent man, a 38-year-old Mexican who obtained his UEFA Pro License last year through the Football Association. He was in good company in the class of 2024 with Chelsea under-18s head coach Hassan Sulaiman, another on that course which costs £13,700 to complete.
Chelsea spent much more to sign Cueva from Brentford (around £750,000 in compensation), with one insider hailing him as the “best in his field” when he started in the summer.
However, six months later, there is room for improvement and Chelsea know it.
On Thursday morning, his analysts showed Maresca some statistics as they prepared to play Wolves, the Premier League's worst team in defending set pieces. Now managed by Vitor Pereira, they have conceded 17 goals in these settings, the next closest being Southampton with 11.
Chelsea set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva sits in the same seat for every game at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea have won 131 corners this season, but the number of goals they have scored in those situations is not as high: only three in total.
Blues coach Enzo Maresca knows there is a lot of room for improvement if Chelsea want to be more dangerous from set pieces.
Specifically, Maresca was told that Chelsea have won 131 corners this season, but the number of goals they have scored in those situations is not that high: only three in total.
Three for 131 leaves Chelsea with a conversion rate of 2.3 per cent. Only five Premier League clubs had a worse percentage heading into weekend games and last season, when the Blues did not have a set-piece coach but did have Thiago Silva in attack in the box, they scored nine out of 202, adding up to 4.5. percent.
“We can be more clinical,” Maresca concluded after looking at the statistics, and the consensus is that set pieces should represent a golden opportunity to score goals at a time when the team has been struggling to take advantage of its opportunities in the open game.
Cueva is diligent and determined and by studying the Wolves' weaknesses, he will have highlighted their zonal marking in the corners. It can look as organized as a teenager's bedroom, and it's surprising that the 5-foot-10 Hwang Hee-chan is sometimes used as the first man. Tottenham only needed to fire a quick ball over his head for Rodrigo Bentancur to score last month.
One of the reasons Tosin Adarabioyo was signed in the summer was because of his height, his 6ft 5in presence considered an asset in Chelsea's considerations.
He could play at centre-back on Monday, particularly if Levi Colwill is unable to play after missing training sessions at Cobham last week. 6-foot-4 Trevoh Chalobah and Josh Acheampong, their 6-foot-2 academy graduate who has headlined corners at youth level, are two other options.
When Chelsea beat Wolves 6-2 earlier in the season, their first goal came from a corner. The cross came from Cole Palmer, there was a quick move in front from Wesley Fofana and then Nicolas Jackson headed in behind.
Maresca hopes Palmer and Enzo Fernandez will be fit enough to play against Wolves after missing sessions last week. They are Chelsea's main receivers: Palmer, the left-handed player, from the right, and Fernández, the right-handed player, from the left.
One of the reasons Tosin Adarabioyo (right) was signed in the summer was because of his height and could start alongside Levi Colwill (left) against Wolves.
Chelsea spent a significant amount to sign Cueva from Brentford – around £750,000 in compensation – and one insider hailed him as the “best in his field”.
Chelsea hope star man Cole Palmer (pictured) will be fit to play against Wolves, where his corners could be crucial.
Chelsea prefer inside swingers, but on the odd occasion they fancy an outside swinger, you will see Palmer play short to Fernandez, or Fernandez play short to Palmer. Now that Reece James has returned from injury, his dead ball delivery could see him replace Fernandez.
It was James who took Chelsea's ninth corner in the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth. The setup was similar to the other eight, as a group of players huddled in the six-yard box. However, once again, it was to no avail as Adarabioyo sent a header wide with the last touch of the match.
Chelsea should have a special affiliation with set pieces as a club, given the drama of the 2012 Champions League final. Bayern Munich had 20 corners in total to one, and still Didier Drogba took advantage that singular opportunity with his shot at the near post in the 88th minute.
Now that Maresca is desperate to win after a month of discomfort, he would love a little help from set pieces. Monday night would be as good a time as any, particularly as visitors to Stamford Bridge regularly look more like puppies than wolves when they arrive in those corners.