Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk scored his first goal for Ukraine in their 3-1 win over Malta on Tuesday night.

It was his 15th appearance for his country and the relief was etched all over the player’s face after finally getting off the mark at international level:

The RELIEF. 💥 pic.twitter.com/Umt3HYuboQ

— Vince™ (@Blue_Footy) October 17, 2023

Mudryk looked sharp throughout the 90 minutes and there is definitely a sense that his confidence is growing after a difficult first 9 months at Stamford Bridge.

No doubt, his recent run of games for the Blues has helped the player. The 22-year-old has started 4 of the last 5 fixtures in all competitions.

It’s probably wise not to get too carried away, but Chelsea supporters will be confident that he can build on his current form for both club and country.

Pochettino’s efforts are paying off

The Chelsea manager has spoken about the work he has been doing with Mudryk on the training pitch. They have even been competing against each other in a crossbar challenge to improve the player’s shooting accuracy.

Pochettino is known for getting the best out of young players, having done so with the likes of Dele Alli at Tottenham, and it looks as though he may be doing the same with Mudryk.

Will Mudryk start against Arsenal?

Off the back of a good performance in midweek, Pochettino could be tempted to start the winger in the London derby this weekend.

However, there is a lot of competition for places. Raheem Sterling was outstanding against Burnley a couple of weeks ago, and he will be fresh after not being called up by England.

Cole Palmer was also excellent at Turf Moor and deserves to keep his starting position, while Noni Madueke looked impressive while playing for England’s Under 21s. It’s a good dilemma for Pochettino to have.

Watch a recap of Gameweek 8 in the Premier League on Shots! TV here