Chelsea have travelled to face Brentford in a London derby on Sunday, looking to strengthen their hold on a top-four finish. However, the starting lineup selected by manager Enzo Maresca has gotten the fans annoyed and frustrated.
Thursday night’s narrow 1-0 win over Tottenham has kept the Blues in fourth in the table, still chasing Champions League football next season. But Maresca made five changes to that winning XI, and many fans reacted with concern at what one described as a “horrible” lineup.
In goal, it’s Robert Sanchez, behind a back four of Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Reece James, returning to captain the side. Moises Caicedo and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are in the midfield pivot. Wide of them are Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho, with Enzo Fernandez centrally behind Christopher Nkunku.
Some onlookers have suggested the plan to effectively rest some of Chelsea’s more reliable performers for tougher games in their upcoming schedule. However, the Blues won the reverse fixture earlier this season, ending a five-game winless run against Brentford. However, with so many changes, fans are unsure whether Maresca’s gamble will pay off.
They posted comments like these when asked to share their thoughts:
Never been so sure of a loss after seeing that line up
— .aliyu. (@aaaliyuuuuu) April 6, 2025
Gonna be a long day!
— CFC_RF (@CFC_RF) April 6, 2025
we bout to bottle this one
— “the system guy” ™️ (@Skipp3r_) April 6, 2025
Horrible lineup
— DREHAY (@Drehay01) April 6, 2025
It is a terrible line up
— The chelsea lad🇺🇬 (@iam_igumira) April 6, 2025
We are basically 2-0 down with Sancho, Nkunku and Sanchez starting
— 🍂 (@PeakReece) April 6, 2025
We are still waiting for the main line up
— Fajila jnr 🐐 (@FajilaJnr) April 6, 2025
Chelsea Boss Braces for Brentford Challenge Amid Tight Turnaround
Enzo Maresca has cautioned that Chelsea’s clash against Brentford will be one of their hardest tests of the campaign. It comes in quick succession, following Thursday’s win over Tottenham.
Speaking about the fixture congestion, Maresca said:
It’s difficult. We are probably the only team – [bar Tottenham] so for us it will be more difficult. But now it’s also a matter of how we manage the tightness. We need to recover energy and we need to go again on Sunday.
He further emphasised that results, rather than performances, are now all that matters, as the season heads down the final straight:
Now the target is to try to finish where we have been all season. Probably the first five, six months, we were second. Probably the expectation changed a little bit, but I think overall, all season we have been top four, top five.
Chelsea now turn their attention to Brentford and will be without the likes of Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia. Both players are recovering from muscle injuries, although Lavia’s is understood to be less serious. The Blues need to focus on Champions League qualification, which means managing fatigue and squad depth will be key as they aim for a strong finish.
