ENZO MARESCA WISHES HE STARTED JOSH ACHEAMPONG AGAINST LEEDS
Maresca admitted a tactical error focusing on aerial ability backfired against Leeds. He defends his team's experience but hinted at a return for academy defender Acheampong.
Enzo Maresca says he wishes he had started Josh Acheampong in the Chelsea game against Leeds United. This might mean he's thinking about putting Acheampong in the lineup for Saturday's game at Bournemouth.
After Chelsea played well in previous games, like when they beat Barcelona 3-0 and tied 1-1 with Arsenal, many people thought they could actually win the league.
But on Wednesday, they lost that spark when Leeds United beat them 3-1.
People criticised Maresca for changing up the defence too much. He took out Wesley Fofana and Reece James and moved Trevoh Chalobah to the right-back position.
Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile were the two centre-backs, but Badiashile got subbed out at halftime. Later, his replacement, Malo Gusto, and Tosin made a mistake that allowed Leeds to score their third goal.
In his press conference before the Bournemouth game, Maresca admitted he made a mistake with his team selection.
"I regret not playing Josh, he said.
The reason we went with Trev, Tosin, and Benoit was that we saw that Leeds often play long balls to [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin and [Lukas] Nmecha.
We wanted players who were good at winning aerial battles. But even then, we still lost most of those battles.
Acheampong has played well when he's had the chance. The 19-year-old has played in nine games this season, starting five of them. However, he hasn't played since the loss to Sunderland in October.
People have been saying that the academy should play more, and Maresca said that he thinks the Bournemouth game will be against Leeds. So, it will be interesting to see if he gives Acheampong a chance this time.
His intensity, and Leeds was very intense. I said that they were better than us. We need to learn from that and be ready for tomorrow.
The coach also disagreed with the idea that his team is too inexperienced. We only talk about experience when we lose. When we beat Barcelona and drew with Arsenal, nobody mentioned experience.
When we don't win, we look for reasons why. But we didn't win against Leeds because we weren't good enough.
Who's the oldest player on the field? Tosin. Did he play well? It's not about experience. All 11 players just didn't play well enough. We're always looking for experience, but it was a bad game for everyone.
COLE PALMER MISSES PENALTY AS CHELSEA SUFFER HISTORIC SIXTH CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE DEFEAT
Chelsea matched a 1912 record with their 6th straight loss, falling 3-1 to Forest as Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice at the Bridge.
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Chelsea hit rock bottom again, losing 3-1 to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge. That’s six Premier League defeats in a row now, something the club hadn’t seen since 1912. Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any worse, Forest showed up with a makeshift lineup and absolutely stunned them. Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice, one barely a minute into the match, and then Igor Jesus put away a penalty, and suddenly Forest was six points clear of the drop zone.
Chelsea hadn’t scored in five games, and it looked like that streak would go on forever. Then, in stoppage time, Joao Pedro finally managed an overhead kick to break the drought. That run was made even more ridiculous earlier when Cole Palmer missed a first-half penalty. Matz Sels, Forest’s backup goalkeeper, saved it.
Honestly, the crowd in the Shed End probably barely recognised their own team. Pereira swapped in seven new outfield players, most of them with almost no league experience; he was clearly thinking about the upcoming Europa League semi-final. But it looked like Chelsea was the stranger out there.
Things only got worse for interim head coach Calum McFarlane. He lost Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho to late injuries, so 18-year-old Jesse Derry had to make his Premier League debut. Then, late in the first half, Derry collided heads with Forest’s Zach Abbott and had to be stretchered off after getting oxygen. It was brutal to watch.
The match itself? Chaos. Less than two minutes in, Chelsea messed up their own throw-in and let Forest stroll through midfield. Dilane Bakwa beat Marc Cucurella with little effort and crossed to Awoniyi, who was completely unmarked and headed it in.
Fifteen minutes later, Chelsea conceded again. Bakwa whipped in another cross; Malo Gusto pulled Awoniyi’s shirt, and VAR handed Forest a penalty. Jesus hammered it right down the middle.
The first half was hopeless, and by the end, serious concern set in after that nasty head clash between Derry and Abbott. Abbott, playing just his second league game, left on his own, but Derry needed serious treatment and was stretchered off.
After a nearly ten-minute stoppage, Palmer’s penalty was stopped by Sels. At halftime, Levi Colwill returned from a major injury he hadn’t played since tearing his ACL in August. He tried to restore order, but nothing changed.
Forest’s third goal came just seven minutes into the second half. Gibbs-White crossed, and Awoniyi tapped in from close range, just managing to stay onside. Chelsea’s keeper, Robert Sanchez, took a knock and left with a bandaged head after colliding with Gibbs-White.
Pedro’s late goal barely counted for anything. The few Chelsea fans left in the stadium cheered, but it was more out of irony than joy.
JESSE DERRY MAKES FIRST CHELSEA START AS MCFARLANE SHUFFLES THE TACTICAL DECK
Chelsea stars Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto miss the Forest clash with knocks, handing 18-year-old Jesse Derry a shock start.
Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto both picked up knocks before Chelsea’s match against Nottingham StadiumNest has learnt. They’d started in last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final, but both missed out on the squad at Stamford Bridge this time.
Calum McFarlane spoke to Sky Sports before kickoff and explained what happened. “It’s nothing serious, just knocks in training. We’re just managing it,” he said.
With them out, Jesse Derry and Cole Palmer came into the starting lineup. Derry, just 18 and only recently breaking into the Chelsea first team, now had a big chance. McFarlane spoke highly of him: “It’s a great opportunity for Jesse. He’s been training with us a lot, he’s played in other games, and we know what he can do. I’ve worked with him before. The lads trust him, and so do I. He’s been excellent in training. We’re really excited for him.”
On Friday at Cobham, Chelsea’s interim boss said the win at Wembley lifted everyone’s mood. “When things aren’t going well, it’s tough. You're not getting the results you want, and it weighs on you. But a single win can turn all that around. The atmosphere has been good, the lads are training well, and the staff feel it too. The energy’s back at Cobham, so we want to keep that going.”
Now, at 38, McFarlane takes charge for the first time at Stamford Bridge. “I’m really looking forward to it. Forest is a strong side, and it’ll be tough, but it’s an honour to lead the team here. I’ve been part of the backroom staff before, but this is something different. Leading the side in front of the home fans? That’s special. I hope we can put in a performance as we did at Wembley.”
He knows the crowd has a big part to play. “We need the fans behind us, bringing energy and really backing the team. There’s still so much to play for; the cup final’s coming, and Champions League qualification is up for grabs. We want to win every game left. Two more at the Bridge, right? We want to make them count, so we need everyone pulling together.”
Chelsea fell behind in the race for the Champions League under Liam Rosenior, dropping 10 points off the pace. Is top-four still possible? McFarlane kept it simple: “All we can do is win our games and not worry about the rest. If we focus on our own performance, the results will take care of themselves. It’s about each match, each day, each session.”
Forest, fresh off a 1-0 first-leg win over Aston Villa in the Europa League semi-finals, is no easy opponent. McFarlane knows that. “They’re in really good form, packed with quality and real threats. So, it’s another huge challenge, just like every Premier League game. But we’ll be ready.”
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