ENZO MARESCA MISTAKE IN BURNLEY GAME LEAVES CHELSEA FANS VERY DISAPPOINTED AGAIN
Chelsea fans are concerned by Enzo Maresca's team selection against Burnley, particularly the defensive pairing of Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah ahead of key games vs Barcelona & Arsenal.
Because Chelsea has some difficult games coming up, they have to get as much as they can from the easier games. You would think that the game against Burnley would be one of those, even if they have to travel to play them. But it is all a matter of perspective. The Clarets should not be offended, but the games coming up against Barcelona and Arsenal will probably be much harder.
But you can't always count on this Chelsea team. You never really know what to expect from them when they play.
For quite a while, people have been closely watching Enzo Maresca's choices for the team. It seems like the Italian manager doesn't have a favourite starting eleven and likes to switch players around. He has also had a lot of players get hurt, and he needs to give everyone on the team some playing time to try and keep them all happy.
But fans were not pleased with his choice to start Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah. Many people think that neither player is good enough to start for Chelsea, and the Blues' defence looks especially weak when they play together. The late goal they let in against Sunderland is a good example of how poorly they both defended.
Chelsea fans are not happy with Enzo Maresca's team choice against Burnley.
One Chelsea fan said, "Chalobah and Tosin playing defence is the only thing I'm worried about; the rest is good. I hope it works out."
A lot of people still remember that Sunderland game, as someone commented: "We all remember what happened the last time Chalobah and Tosin played at the same time, right?"
It is also starting to become a worry that Maresca keeps overlooking Josh Acheampong. He has said he trusts him in interviews, but his team choices show something different. The player from the Chelsea academy has played much better than both Chalobah and Adarabioyo when he's been given the chance. Someone else said, "I don't get why Maresca won't play Acheampong when he's better than Tosin."
Another Chelsea fan commented, "I really don't get why Josh Acheampong is playing worse than Tosin now. He had a couple of great games and then just disappeared."
So, let's hope we're wrong and Chalobah and Adarabioyo both have amazing games against Burnley. Chelsea needs to gain some confidence before they play Barcelona and Arsenal.
WHY CHELSEA ARE BETTING ON LIAM DELAP’S LONG-TERM STAMFORD BRIDGE FUTURE
Not for sale: Discover why Chelsea is blocking Everton's move for Liam Delap and Rosenior's plans for the Arsenal derby.
Chelsea have some thinking to do about Liam Delap’s future at Stamford Bridge this summer. They really don’t want to let him go, even though Everton are sniffing around, according to Football Insider. The club just isn’t interested in selling; they want Delap around for next season. He’s signed until June 2031, so there’s no rush.
Right now, Chelsea sits fifth in the Premier League after 27 games. They’re just ahead of Liverpool on goal difference. Last time out, they drew 1-1 at home with Burnley. Not exactly the result they wanted.
Chelsea only picked up Delap from Ipswich Town last year. He was brought in to give their attack a boost, add some competition, and deepen the squad up front. The 23-year-old has played 25 times in all competitions this season, with 18 league appearances. He’s only managed two goals and four assists so far – not exactly lighting it up – but there’s still time for him to find his feet.
Delap’s taken the long road already. He started at Derby County, then joined Manchester City’s youth setup in 2019. He only made six first-team appearances for City, but he got loan moves to Stoke, Preston, and Hull in the Championship to toughen up and get more minutes. Ipswich signed him permanently in 2024, and then Chelsea came calling.
So, what’s next after that frustrating draw with Burnley? Chelsea have to head to the Emirates to face Arsenal this weekend. After the Burnley game, Liam Rosenior didn’t mince words. He said, “We’ve basically thrown away four points in two home games. That’s not good enough for a club like this. It’s not enough to just play well; we have to win. I know what needs to change, and we’ll work on it this week. Every game is an inquest, win or lose. I’m learning which players you can rely on when things get tough, and we need to fix that fast.”
WHY WESLEY FOFANA BELIEVES FOOTBALL’S ANTI-RACISM CAMPAIGNS ARE FAILING IN 2026
Football faces a crisis. Discover why Wesley Fofana and Hannibal Mejbri are demanding action after a weekend of racist abuse.
Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana didn’t hold back after he and Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri were hit with racist abuse following Saturday’s 1-1 draw. “Nothing changes,” he wrote. “People are never punished.” Both players shared screenshots of the nasty messages sent to them on Instagram, just hours after the match at Stamford Bridge.
This all happened only days after UEFA started looking into Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior’s claims that Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni racially abused him during a Champions League game in Lisbon. That match had to be stopped for ten minutes after Vinicius, clearly shaken, refused to play on. Prestianni tried to cover his mouth with his shirt during the incident, but the damage was already done.
Back to Saturday night, Fofana, who’d been sent off late in the game for two yellow cards, posted some of the abuse he received and didn’t mince words: “2026, it’s still the same thing. These people are never punished. You create big campaigns against racism, but nobody actually does anything.” Mejbri also shared the messages he got, adding, “It’s 2026, and there are still people like that. Educate yourself and your kids, please.”
Chelsea responded quickly, calling the abuse “completely unacceptable” and saying it goes against everything the club stands for. “There is no room for racism,” they said. “We stand unequivocally with Wes. He has our full support, as do all our players who are too often forced to endure this hatred simply for doing their job. We will work with the authorities and platforms to find the people responsible and take the strongest action.”
Burnley echoed the sentiment: “There is no place for this in our society, and we condemn it unreservedly.”
Football’s handling of racism has been under the microscope lately, especially after what happened in Lisbon. Benfica manager Jose Mourinho stirred things up further by accusing Vinicius of provoking the incident, while the Portuguese club claimed their player was the victim of a defamation campaign.
As for the game itself, Chelsea looked set for a win until Burnley’s Zian Flemming headed in a stoppage-time equaliser, right after Fofana’s red card left Chelsea down a man. Fofana was sent off in the 72nd minute for a late challenge on James Ward-Prowse. Earlier, Joao Pedro’s fourth-minute goal seemed to put Liam Rosenior’s side on track for victory, but like so many times this season, they couldn’t finish off Scott Parker’s struggling team. The match ended all square, but the bigger story was what happened off the pitch.
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