A positive run of results has changed the conversations surrounding Chelsea’s future after a chaotic summer transfer window, with the Blues seemingly on the right track under newly appointed manager Enzo Maresca.
Chelsea are currently 4th in the Premier League with 14 points from 7 league games, with an understandable single loss against Pep Guardiola’s City. The decision to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino seems to be paying off, as Chelsea had 8 points after 7 Premier League games last season, with three games lost by this stage of the season.
A significant +6 points improvement seems to have changed the mood at Stamford Bridge, with Enzo Maresca raising the expectations of the Chelsea faithful.
Chelsea flourishes under Enzo Maresca
Enzo Maresca’s tactical setup has had a significant impression on his players, with noticeable improvements in certain players who seemed to struggle last season under the management of Pochettino. Moises Caicedo looks more like the €133 million Brighton player that Chelsea paid for, dictating play and offering quality defensive covering for Chelsea’s attacking players.
Under Pochettino, Caicedo looked like a shadow of himself, often isolated in midfield with large spaces to cover and few passing options. Noni Madueke, who was a peripheral figure last season, has also been in fine form this season, with five (5) goals in eight (8) games in all competitions this season.
They’ve also been a qualitative improvement in Nicolas Jackson‘s finishing this season, which has seen the Senegalese striker score four (4) goals from an xG of 5. Maresca’s excellent man management skills have also been critical in bringing the best out of Man United reject Jadon Sancho, who had previously struggled to make his mark under Ten Hag.
The young winger has produced three assists in four Premier League matches this season, with an expected assist of 0.88 while creating a total of eight chances. For context, since signing for United in the 2021/2022 season, the most assists Sancho has produced in a League season is three.
Sancho is clearly enjoying a new lease of life under Enzo Maresca. A change at the dugout has also had no negative impact on Cole Palmer, who has continued where he left off last season with six goals and five assists this season.
Can Maresca Lead Chelsea Back to the Top?
Maresca’s adaptability has also played a crucial role in Chelsea’s good run of form, showing a willingness to adapt to his players’s strengths and weaknesses while also being flexible with his approach against opposition managers. His tactical setup in his previous managerial stint as Leicester City’s head coach was a heavily disciplined style of positional football, with every player mandated to operate within a strict system of possession-based football.
At Chelsea, Maresca has been willing to allow his players a level of positional freedom, with the players free to find solutions within themselves. This freedom has translated into some very high-scoring and entertaining matches, with Chelsea among the league’s top clubs for direct attacks and fast breaks. They are the league’s second-highest scorers with 16 goals from 14.7 xG. Defensively, they’ve also been making slight improvements, with the Blues ranking 6th for xG against having conceded eight goals from 7.9 xGA.
There is clearly still room for improvement, but there’s little doubt that Chelsea are on the right track under the management and game model of Enzo Maresca. It is too early to classify Maresca’s Chelsea as genuine title contenders, but signs have been positive as they’ve been able to answer different questions thrown at them.
They’ve shown that they can play through an aggressive highline, as showcased in their 4-2 demolition of Brighton, and also have the technical quality to break down stubborn low blocks. The squad might be far from being the finished article, but it is clear that Enzo Maresca has what it takes to restore Chelsea’s status in the upper echelons of European football.
