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TACTICAL SHIFT: ENZO MARESCA'S METHOD MAKES CHELSEA TITLE CONTENDERS
Chelsea is on the rise under Enzo Maresca. After a 3-0 win over Barcelona, can they close the gap on Arsenal? Full analysis.
After a tough few years, Chelsea, under Enzo Maresca, looks like they're finally gelling and have their sights set on catching Arsenal.
In Tuesday’s Champions League match, Chelsea beat Barcelona 3-0. As the clock ticked down, Chelsea fans couldn't resist teasing the losing side, chanting "olé" with every pass.
The fans have missed this feeling. There's a new buzz around Stamford Bridge. After a shaky start under the new ownership, with changes in coaches and players, there's a sense that the team is heading back to the top of European football. The BlueCo project seems to be paying off.
Chelsea is now second in the Premier League and could be within three points of the lead if they beat Arsenal on Sunday.
They might not be ready to win the whole thing yet, but they’re not the same mess they used to be. Under Maresca, they've won four out of their last five games, with no goals scored against them in those wins.
Last season's trophies came with some debate. Some said winning the Conference League was expected, and others downplayed their Club World Cup win. But the way they dominated Paris Saint-Germain in the final was a statement, showing what they can do with the right players and coaching.
Star player Cole Palmer is close to returning after being out for two months. Things are looking up for Chelsea.
Maresca's Approach
At a club known for planning far into the future, Maresca keeps the focus on the present.
The 45-year-old coach isn't interested in long-term distractions. He’s focused on improving after each game and choosing the right players.
Will he be around for the long haul? Possibly. When he was hired last July, the owners decided to give him at least two seasons to bring stability to the team.
In a little over a year, Maresca has done a good job. Last year, Chelsea was near the top of the league for a while, won some trophies, and got back into the Champions League.
Maresca believes the team has improved a lot. Chelsea is more composed now than they were earlier in the season. Marc Cucurella says the team is settling, calmer, and more mature.
They have more control in games, and more players are scoring goals, instead of relying just on Palmer and Nicolas Jackson.
Maresca learned from Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, but he’s also been criticised for playing it too safe, limiting the freedom of players like Palmer.
Still, his possession-based approach has become more successful. His clear tactics have helped the young team. Maresca stands out as the only Premier League manager who hasn't used a player over 30.
Chelsea has a great youth academy, and Maresca gives those players opportunities. Jesse Derry chose Chelsea because Maresca gives young talent a chance to train and play with the first team.
Maresca also manages players’ time on the field well, giving key players rest when he can.
Barcelona's coach, Hansi Flick, recently called Chelsea one of the best teams in the world. The fans are behind Maresca.
The Estevao Factor
Estêvão has a way of getting fans excited as soon as he touches the ball. Former Chelsea player Pat Nevin said that Estêvão is special. You’re talking about Messi and Ronaldo.”
Like the fans, Nevin can't hide his excitement about Estêvão's potential.
Next summer, more young players will join Chelsea.
Chelsea's focus on young players doesn't seem to be slowing down.
Even though Chelsea has relied on Palmer, the team has shown they can win. They’ve won 12 out of 15 games without him this season.
Enzo Fernández and Caicedo, who were signed for a lot of money, are finally playing like it.
João Pedro is among the top players in the league for goal contributions, and other new players are starting to perform well.
Chelsea's recruitment is focused on the future, but they also made quick decisions in the summer to balance the books. They sold or loaned out a lot of players and brought in Facundo Buonanotte on loan.
They still have players like Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi who aren't playing. Conor Gallagher, a Chelsea academy product, was sold to make money.
Chelsea was one of the top sellers in the league this summer.
The owners, along with Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, are often seen watching games. Dave Fallows, who was behind Liverpool's signing of Mohamed Salah, recently joined to work on football development.
The plan is starting to work
Chelsea may not be ready to win the Premier League yet, but they are building a strong base.
There are still things to work on. They might need better centre-backs and a better goalkeeper in the future.
They also need to improve their discipline. Maresca himself has received several yellow cards.
Injuries have been a problem, but they need to find ways to beat teams that play defensively.
Getting big wins is important for the fans. Beating PSG was a boost, and this season they've also beaten Liverpool, Tottenham, and Barcelona.
The team spirit is better than it has been in a long time. They keep winning.
PROUD BLUES: ALEJANDRO GARNACHO HAILS CHELSEA'S TEN-MAN STAND AGAINST ARSENAL
Alejandro Garnacho hailed 10-man Chelsea's draw vs. Arsenal. Manager Maresca was proud but questioned VAR's inconsistent application on Caicedo, Hincapie, and Bentancur incidents.
Alejandro Garnacho said he was after Chelsea managed a draw against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, even after playing 52 minutes with only ten players. Chelsea's Moises Caicedo was sent off for a bad tackle on Declan Rice after the video assistant referee got involved.
The referee, Anthony Taylor, initially gave Caicedo a yellow card, but it was changed to a red card after the VAR review. The Premier League Match Centre explained the decision on X and even included Taylor's announcement.
The post said: #CHEARS – 34’ VAR OVERTURN After VAR review, the referee changed the original decision from a yellow card to Caicedo to a red card due to serious foul play.
Referee announcement: “After review, Chelsea 25 makes a challenge with excessive force and endangers the safety of the opponent; therefore, my final decision is a red card.
Despite having one less player, Chelsea took the lead with a goal from Trevoh Chalobah in the 48th minute, but Arsenal tied the score through Mikel Merino shortly before the hour mark.
Garnacho, who came in as a substitute for Estevao at halftime, went to social media to say how proud he was of his team.
He shared a photo from the game on his Instagram story, with the caption: "Of the team today [blue love heart]."
He wasn't the only one feeling that way. Chelsea's coach, Maresca, was also happy with how his team responded after losing a player. But he also wondered why Arsenal didn't lose a player too, after Piero Hincapie seemed to elbow Chalobah.
When asked about the Chelsea red card, Maresca said, "I just said it there; he asked me about Moises' red card." It's a red card, but why wasn't Bentancur's against Reece a red card when we were at Spurs away?
So, as managers, it's hard for us to understand why they judge things differently. Moises' is a red card, yes. Bentancur's is a red card, yes. So why didn't they give him a red card? That's what we have a hard time understanding.
The thing is, it's a red card. But why do they judge things differently? And about the Trevoh one, I asked the referee, and he told me that it wasn't an elbow.
So, that's what they said. [He had a] black eye, with ice at halftime. But they judge things differently.
ENZO MARESCA'S MASTERCLASS: 10-MAN CHELSEA HOLDS ARSENAL, TITLE RACE ON
Enzo Maresca's tactical bravery, coupled with a dominant Reece James performance, allowed 10-man Chelsea to hold Arsenal to a 1-1 draw and keep the title race alive.
Just ten weeks ago, Wayne Rooney criticised Enzo Maresca's substitutions after Chelsea's loss to Manchester United when they were down to ten players.
Rooney felt that taking off Estevao, Pedro Neto, and Cole Palmer at Old Trafford let United control the game and weakened Chelsea's attack, even after Casemiro was sent off for the home team.
Chelsea fans might have worried about a repeat when Moises Caicedo was red-carded for a bad foul on Arsenal's Mikel Merino in their 1-1 draw.
Caicedo is the sixth Chelsea player to get a red card this season—seven if you count Maresca's for celebrating too much during their win against Liverpool at home.
While Maresca needs to sort out this lack of discipline, he didn't back down this time. Facing the league leaders with ten men for over 50 minutes, he showed bravery, and his players matched it.
Maresca didn't hesitate. Instead of playing it safe, he took a chance, bringing on Alejandro Garnacho at halftime and Liam Delap before the hour mark.
Kweku Afari says the title race is still alive after Chelsea drew with Arsenal while playing with ten men.
This bold approach paid off when Chelsea surprisingly scored first with Trevoh Chalobah's header from Reece James's corner in the 48th minute.
It was Chelsea's tenth goal from a set piece this season, second only to Arsenal.
If you can't beat them, join them!
Even though Merino equalised just 11 minutes later, keeping Garnacho and Pedro Neto on the field, with Delap as the main threat, meant Arsenal couldn't relax or commit too many players forward to find a winner. A win would have put them seven points clear at the top.
In the end, Arsenal's coach, Mikel Arteta, was happy to get a draw, just like Maresca, after a big week for Arsenal, having already beaten Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich.
Chelsea wasn't going to be as easy to push around as Spurs were in the north London derby last weekend.
Joao Pedro set the tone for what Arteta called a proper London derby by fouling Cristhian Mosquera right after kickoff.
From that point on, Arsenal couldn't get into their usual flow, even with an extra player.
Everyone expected the battle between Caicedo and Declan Rice to be key, but it was captain Reece James, playing in midfield again, who led the way.
James was the best player on the field, stopping Rice from controlling the game and threatening Arsenal's defence with his great passing.
James's perfect corner led to Chalobah's goal.
It's no surprise that England's coach, Thomas Tuchel, really wants his former Chelsea player to be fit for next summer's World Cup.
If James can keep playing like this after struggling with injuries for three years, he'll be important for both his country and his club.
James's determined performance showed everything good about Maresca's confident Chelsea team, who will at least keep Arsenal under pressure in the title race.
What a difference ten weeks can make.
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