When Enzo Maresca became Chelsea’s head coach last summer, those who had studied the Italian’s tactics at Leicester predicted his appointment would accelerate the end of Ben Chilwell’s time at Stamford Bridge. “Enzo doesn’t play with a left-back,” a source said. “Chilwell won’t be able to do what Enzo wants. He just won’t play him.”
The prediction was spot-on, with Chilwell quickly discounted from selection. It was nothing personal, though. The logic was merely that Maresca does not play with a conventional back four in possession but wants one full-back inverting and the other shifting inside to play as an extra centre-back in a 3-2-4-1 system.
It is far from foolproof, as anyone who saw Malo Gusto’s disastrous first-half turn as an auxiliary midfielder in the Conference League final against Real Betis will confirm. Yet Maresca has his way of playing and is comfortable without overlapping full-backs. He has often had speedy wingers playing high, tasked with going one-on-one against a defender. Marc Cucurella has been the inverter from left-back. Instead of being a rampaging force from right-back, Reece James has often drifted infield.
The effect is numerical superiority in the middle. The drawback is that wide players become isolated in Maresca’s team. Chelsea often struggled against low blocks during the second half of last season, particularly if it was a back five, and there was a lot of discussion about whether Mareca’s football was overly rigid.
Qualification for the Champions League became a grind. Chelsea finished fourth and won the Conference League but there was an issue to address. How to be less predictable? Ponder that for a moment and the decision to derail Newcastle’s move for Brighton forward João Pedro becomes easier to understand.
There will inevitably be accusations of stockpiling. The attack was already well stocked before Liam Delap joined from Ipswich and a deal for the Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens was agreed. There’s also Estêvão Willian, who joins from Palmeiras after the Club World Cup, and suggestions that Chelsea could sign another forward. They continue to monitor the Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho and like West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus because of the Tottenham target’s ability to play in three positions.
Delap and Gittens were far obvious moves than João Pedro, though. Delap was needed to provide healthy competition for Nicolas Jackson up front and Gittens fills a hole given that Chelsea need at least one right-footed left-winger. The left-footed Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke are uncomfortable fits on the left. They prefer cutting inside from the right. Estêvão is another left-footer who cuts inside.
Chelsea know something has to give. Geovany Quenda, another gifted young winger, joins from Sporting next summer. No wonder Chelsea will listen to offers for Madueke. A mission to trim the squad is under way; the arrival of João Pedro in a deal worth more than £50m is expected to result in Christopher Nkunku leaving.
Nkunku scored the winner when Chelsea beat Benfica in the last 16 of the Club World Cup but he is not quite right for Maresca. João Pedro is regarded as a better profile than the France forward and João Félix, who is also out of favour. Perhaps he will complement Cole Palmer, lifting the creative burden on Chelsea’s main man. Palmer needs opportunities to rest. It is going to be another gruelling campaign and Chelsea are mindful about the Champions League increasing the demands on their squad.
Maresca will have to rotate more in the league and he will benefit from having different modes of attack. There is no point having an array of speedy wingers if they are effective only in transition. Chelsea need different angles in attack. They are probably not going to get much intricate link play from Delap, who is more of an old-school No 9. Jackson is better at dropping off, turning and playing reverse balls – as he did for Neto’s goal against Los Angeles FC – but is more chaotic.
after newsletter promotion
João Pedro offers a different profile. He presses well, drops deep and could play with Palmer as a second striker. The Brazilian was adept at receiving possession and releasing Brighton’s wingers with clever angled passes. He could do the same for Gittens and Neto. Chelsea will hope they are signing a player who can draw negative opponents out, move defences around and create space for others. It is not the obvious move, but it feels like a canny one.
It is about options and collaboration. Neto has three goals in three appearances at the Club World Cup and is loved at Chelsea for his work rate. João Pedro’s output at Brighton was nothing spectacular – 30 goals and 10 assists in 70 appearances – but Maresca wants his attack to share the load and become more versatile.
It helps to explain why Maresca has experimented in the US, hitting on a 3-2-4-1 in possession against Benfica, with Palmer’s role as an inside-left leaving space for Cucurella to maraud. Predicting Chelsea’s starting XI will become almost impossible. The system will be complex, leaving no space for someone of Chilwell’s profile. Sometimes it could be heavy on wingers, at other times there could be two No 10s. For a shape-shifter such as Maresca, it seems variety is the spice of life.
