The Enzo Maresca era got off to an unremarkable start with a two-nil defeat at the hands of reigning champions Manchester City.
Goals from Erling Haaland and former Blue Mateo Kovačić saw Pep’s men get off to the perfect start of their title defence, whereas the start to Chelsea’s season can only be described as disruptive and laborious.
Perspective Needed?
Losing to Man City in and of itself, is by no means a disaster, and perhaps some early season perspective is needed here. Man City are very much the finished article, they are what the current Chelsea regime is basing themselves on and what they are striving to achieve.
However, the difference between the Citizen’s well-oiled machine, and Chelsea’s combination of expensive young talent was very plain to see.
Even without the likes of Rodri, Kyle Walker and Phil Foden in the starting 11, City demonstrated why they’re favourites for a fifth straight Premier League title with a composed and clinical performance across the pitch, with former Chelsea man Kovačić at the forefront.
That being said, it is the first game of the season and a period of transition was always expected under Maresco. Losing to Man City where you’re a fully established team with a set starting line up is no embarrassment, so in hindsight, it could be argued that this defeat was to be expected, or at least, not one to be ashamed of so early on.
Similar Problems to Pochettino’s Reign
Whilst Chelsea put in a decent performance, and were no means comprehensively beaten by City, there were similar issues on show to what plagued Pochettino’s solo season in charge.
Nicholas Jackson remains an unreliable and somewhat chaotic figure up front. He managed to find the net from an Ederson error but was marginally offside. Pundits were quick to point out a more disciplined and reliable figure should have managed to stay onside, with minimal pressure on the Senegalese forward. With Victor Osimhen continuing to be strongly linked to Chelsea, and Christopher Nkunku closing in on full fitness, Jackson’s spot leading the line will continue to be questioned.
In goal, Robert Sánchez was once again unreliable, to say the least. Undoubtedly, he could have done better on Kovačić’s long range effort which killed the game off, whilst his passing out from the back and distribution was lacklustre at times, often putting defenders under unnecessary pressure or just finding City’s players in the final third. With Filip Jörgensen waiting patiently, and likely to get his competitive debut again Servette, Sánchez’s time as number one may be limited.
Finally, the midfield trio of Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, a combined talent pool of over £200m, failed to gel cohesively and lost the battle in the middle of the park to Kovačić, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne. Figuring out this puzzle, and what the best starting combination should be, needs to be Maresca’s top priority heading into the upcoming matches.
What’s Next?
On the horizon for Chelsea is the first leg of their Europa League Conference play-off against Servette of Switzerland, this coming Thursday, and they return to Premier League action away to Wolves on Sunday the 25th. Maresca is likely to heavily rotate his squad on Thursday, to not only satisfy the 40 plus players at his disposal, but also with a view to trying to figure out his best starting 11 who can play true to his desired style.
