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CHELSEA’S ENZO MARESCA ATTRIBUTES QARABAG DRAW TO WORLD CUP AFTEREFFECTS

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca blamed Club World Cup fatigue for a rotated side's 2-2 UCL draw with Qarabag. After a 2500-mile trip, Garnacho rescued a point, but injuries and squad fatigue are growing concerns.

Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca Attributes Qarabag Draw to World Cup Aftereffects
Enzo Maresca has pointed to the summer's Club World Cup for Chelsea's failure to beat Qarabag in the Champions League - COURTESY/PHOTO

After Chelsea lost Champions League points in a 2-2 tie with Qarabag, head coach Enzo Maresca claimed that his team's selections are being impacted by the Club World Cup.

After travelling 2,500 miles to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, the Blues did not look their best and were thoroughly outplayed by their hosts, who seized a 2-1 lead before halftime.

Estevao's early goal looked to have Chelsea on track for a comfortable victory, but goals from Leandro Andrade and a penalty kick from Marko Jankovic reversed the tide of the match.

Alejandro Garnacho's strike in the second half saved the visitors' blushes and salvaged a point, but Maresca blamed a ruined preseason and no summer vacation after making seven changes from the squad that defeated Tottenham the weekend.

"Moisses (Caicedo), Enzo (Fernandez), Malo (Gusto), and other players were to be rested," he stated. They can not perform every three days. The Club World Cup had a significant impact. We made an effort to rotate. Everyone is focused on that when we lose, but no one talks about it when we win.

Just five weeks before the start of the new Premier League season, Chelsea defeated Paris St. Germain 3-0 in the U.S. summer tournament final.

According to Maresca, "the (selection) is always because we think the plan with the players is correct." We got off to a good start today and scored the first goal, but we then gave up two goals, the first of which came while they had ten players. We can steer clear of both objectives. We must be more clinical in our box.

Romeo Lavia's early injury took him off, which caused Maresca even more concern.

In the more than two years since joining the team, the midfielder has only made 30 appearances and has never played 90 minutes.

Maresca stated, "We feel shame for him, especially for him." He can not stay in shape for a very long time. Now we shall see. It is too soon to determine the type of harm. I believe it to be his quad.

With one loss already under their belt, Chelsea has little room for error in their final four games if they want to finish in the top eight and avoid a play-off in February. The draw puts them on eight points in the table, which is the same amount as their hosts in Baku.

Less than 72 hours after coming from the eastern side of Europe, Maresca's team will play Wolves at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night.

Maresca stated, "It is about all (the players)." "I believe we got off to a good start. We had the game under control, but after four or five minutes, we gave up the second goal after giving up the first.

"The second half was significantly better for us. They have an opportunity to demonstrate their purpose in every game.

REVEALED: WHY CHELSEA’S FINANCIAL POWER MAKES THEM FAVORITES TO HIJACK BARCELONA’S IAN SUBIABRE DEAL

River Plate's Ian Subiabre is heading to Europe: Chelsea leads the hunt as Barcelona struggles with the financial demands.

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Chelsea and Barcelona launch rival bids for Argentine sensation Ian Subiabre.

Word on the street is that Ian Subriabre is getting a lot of attention in Europe. Chelsea and Barcelona are supposedly fighting over the River Plate star. The 18-year-old isn't planning to stick around with River Plate, so he might leave before he can go for free.

We've been hearing Ian Subriabre's name in European media circles for a while now. A bunch of big clubs are trying to get him to cross the Atlantic. This attacker has some serious admirers ready to battle it out for him when January rolls around.

Chelsea and Barcelona are supposedly in the mix. Reports say they've already contacted his people. But River Plate got mad when Liverpool jumped into the race, so things got complicated for a while.

Ideally, the Argentine team would rather not lose the 18-year-old right now. They think his value will go up soon. But his contract is a mess, and he's refusing to sign a new one.

Subiabre's deal is up in December 2026, so clubs can make a move next month. Chelsea and Barcelona have reportedly already reached out. Either of those big European teams could try to sign the 18-year-old.

I'm sure other teams will get involved too, but it sounds like Chelsea and Barcelona are in the lead. Barcelona is really interested in Subiabre, but they'll have to think about the money before doing anything. They might be hoping for a cheaper deal, but River Plate might ask for a lot.

Chelsea, on the other hand, has been working hard to sign all the best young players. They're also in good shape financially, so they could make River Plate a good offer. Plus, they can give the 18-year-old a chance to grow in Europe, maybe even within the club itself.

WHAT DID ALAN SHEARER SAY ABOUT REECE JAMES? THE TACTICAL SHIFT THAT STUNNED NEWCASTLE

Alan Shearer praises Reece James as his brilliant free-kick inspires Chelsea to a 2-2 draw after Newcastle’s Woltemade double.

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How Reece James sparked a massive turnaround.

Alan Shearer said Reece James totally changed the game in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw against Newcastle on Saturday.

Nick Woltemade scored twice, putting Newcastle ahead. Then, James nailed an awesome free kick from 25 yards out for Chelsea.

Joao Pedro evened the score in the 66th minute, so both teams walked away with a point from a nail-biter at St. James Park.

Shearer told the Premier League website after the game, ‘If you want to see how goals can turn a game around, look at what happened with Chelsea after Reece James’ free kick.

‘It just totally flipped. Newcastle couldn't even get close to Chelsea after that goal.

‘Chelsea started moving the ball way faster, spread out more, and their wingers became a threat, which they definitely weren't in the first half.’

James said it felt great to score that free kick.

James' free kick was the first direct one against Newcastle in the Premier League since Raheem Sterling scored one for Chelsea at St. James’ Park back in November 2023.

Chelsea captain James has two league goals this season, which is as many as he scored in 2022-23 (one), 2023-24 (0), and 2024-25 (one) altogether.

Talking to TNT Sports about his amazing free kick, James said, ‘It felt really good to score when we seriously needed something to turn things around.

‘It’s tough to play here. The crowd gets too many teams. When you can’t win, it’s crucial not to lose.’

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said about James after the match, ‘[It was a] great game.

‘He played as a midfielder for an hour and then as a full-back for the last half hour. We’re really happy for him.’

James also said about the draw, ‘It was a game of two very parts. They played better than us in the first one.

‘We had to look at what was happening and make some changes, and we came out strong in the second. Things changed fast.

‘The messages at halftime were about being more aggressive and putting in more effort. They were winning too many loose balls in the first one, and we needed to step up. And we did in the second one.’

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