AA minor incident in Chelsea’s final pre-season friendly against Inter last Sunday gave Enzo Maresca hope that a random collection of 43 footballers is developing into a team. Levi Colwill was kicked and knocked to the ground by Inter’s experienced centre-back Francesco Acerbi and then things went haywire, with most of the Chelsea players rushing forward to support their teammate and mob referee Sam Barrot.
It was not quite the “Battle of the Bridge” like the violent clash between Chelsea and Tottenham eight years ago, which saw 12 men booked and the Football Association hand out £600,000 in fines, but for Maresca it was an encouraging sign that his emerging group is prepared to fight for each other.
“It’s the right culture,” he said as he prepared for his first competitive game in charge of Chelsea against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon. “If there is any wrong intent I try to defend my teammates. In a friendly match, one of the opponents kicked one of our players badly, and the rest of our players were around our player to defend him. It doesn’t mean I go there to start, but I go close and defend my teammate.
“You need that to be a team. You need to be closer, more like friends. On the field you have to defend yourself like brothers, otherwise you’re going to struggle. It’s not just: ‘Okay, we’re good players, that’s enough.’ It’s not enough.”
Maresca’s efforts in team building Chelsea’s innovative approach to player recruitment under the Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital regime has been hampered in the short term, which has drawn sarcastic comparisons to the trolley dash on the 1990s game show. Supermarket SweepNine players have been signed during another busy summer – Maresca still keen Add one more forward The addition of either Joao Felix or Victor Osimhen – if loan players are included – would take Chelsea’s squad to 53 players.
Chelsea say the club is adopting a data-driven approach that will deliver results and by targeting younger players they have reduced their wage bill by an average of around £70,000 a week, although real success will only come when performances on the pitch improve. This is where Maresca comes in, with the Italian making a strong impression on club staff with his clear thinking and decisiveness.
While his predecessors Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino attempted to keep their squad happy, Maresca has been ruthless, forcing the club to sell players such as Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, Armando Broja and Romelu Lukaku. Ben Chilwell has been allowed to train with the squad, but the vice-captain was given a public reminder of his place on Friday when Maresca confirmed it would be better for the England left-back to find a new club as his playing time would be limited.
Marc Cucurella will be preferred over Chilwell against City, with Malo Gusto starting at right-back due to Reece James’ hamstring injury, while Colville will be paired with Wesley Fofana in the centre of defence. Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandes emerged as Maresca’s preferred central midfield in pre-season, but given his myriad options and flexibility of players, Chelsea’s attacking lineup is difficult to predict. Noni Madueke, Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudrik, Christopher Nkunku and new Sign Pedro Neto for £54m All are contenders, but Cole Palmer is sure to play.
With Gallagher and Chilwell out, Maresca is left with an inexperienced squad, although that could suit a coach who, like his mentor Pep Guardiola on Sunday, likes to walk and talk to his players in every phase of the game. “I like this age,” Maresca said. “The important thing is that they are full of talent. But talent is not enough and we need something more. That’s why we are trying to create some culture not only on the pitch but off the pitch as well.”
At 22 and after a season of regular Premier League football, Palmer already appears to be Chelsea’s most important player, although Maresca admits he cannot be expected to shoulder the team’s creative and goalscoring load alone. After an exceptionally successful campaign that brought 27 goals and 15 assists in all competitions, Maresca fears Palmer may find this season more difficult.
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“When you score 20 goals in a season it’s always difficult to repeat that, whether you’re Cole Palmer or (Erling) Haaland,” he said. “It’s difficult. With Palmer we have to make sure we share the goal responsibility with other wingers and attacking midfield players. It’s not all on Cole’s shoulders.
“We play with two wingers, two offensive players and a number 9. So these five players are responsible for scoring goals and helping their teammates. The wingers, the offensive players and the number nine are responsible for scoring goals.”
A similar incident happened in November last year eight goals scored And it was one of the best games of the season, which Maresca enjoyed watching from his home near Leicester, although he would not want to see a similar scene on Sunday. “I was watching at home and it was fantastic, although as a manager I don’t like to concede goals,” he said. “I don’t want to concede four goals.”