Enzo Maresca’s reign at Chelsea is only a month old, but it has been filled with all the banter, uncertainty and confusion fans have come to know over the past two seasons.
After starting the season with a loss to Manchester City, Maresca’s side hammered Wolves and were held by Crystal Palace (yes, we’re counting the September 1 game here, get over it), with a wholly unconvincing Conference League play-off victory. Servette thrown in the mix too.
There are as many questions surrounding Chelsea as there are answers, but here are five key takeaways from Maresca’s first month in the Stamford Bridge dugout.
Maresca has clearly relied on a central pairing of Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana. The duo played every minute of Premier League action during August (and the 1-1 draw with Palace on September 1).
There have been initial hiccups, of course, considering these two had barely shared a field before this year, but there’s definitely been a lot to like.
While Benoit Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo have yet to impress, these two youngsters are really establishing themselves as a duo that fans can get behind.
Well, with the optimism about the defense now out of the way, it’s time to talk about the obvious elephant in the room. Chelsea they have only kept one clean sheet this season, and that was in an awkward 2-0 win over Servette in the Conference League.
The defensive fragility that plagued Mauricio Pochettino’s side is alive and kicking under Maresca, whose divisive tactics undoubtedly lead to plenty of chances for the opposition.
Whether the defense is not set up well or there is a woeful lack of coverage from midfield, Maresca must find a solution to this problem in September.
Pochettino’s departure threatened to cause real problems for Cole Palmer. The cold-blooded Chelsea star did not shy away from crediting his former boss for his breakout season, and there were signs at the start of Maresca’s reign that Palmer might not be himself this year.
However, with one goal and four assists to his name in three Premier League games, it’s clear that Palmer is still as good as ever.
Maresca quickly learned that playing Palmer on the right, as he did in the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City, was not going to work. He brought Palmer to the center and the fun hasn’t stopped since.
Maresca’s brutal approach to management has not been kind to Mykhailo Mudryk, who has been on the receiving end of a public display of frustration with the new boss. The arrivals of Joao Felix and Jadon Sancho are a clear sign that Maresca does not have time to develop the Ukrainian international.
However, on the right side of the pitch, Noni Madueke has stood up and announced himself.
Facing questions about his attitude and performances last seasonMadueke has silenced his critics with four goals in four games, quickly stepping into the limelight in the process.
Carrying the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Reece James, we have again seen Enzo Fernandez tested in a handful of different positions.
The Argentina international has played both up and down Chelsea’s midfield, often switching between the two roles in a single game in search of a positive impact.
It hasn’t been a disaster at all, but fans expect a lot more from the £107m midfielder, who may be looking over his shoulder once Romeo Lavia is back to full form.
