Negatives
Enzo Maresca Learning Nothing From the Last Match
Brighton had already beaten Chelsea last Saturday, knocking them out of the FA Cup. Chelsea have been in dreadful form, but so were Brighton, they hadn’t won at home since November, and their previous match ended in a humiliating 7-0 defeat. Yet, Chelsea had no answers. In their 2-1 FA Cup loss, the only goal they scored came from Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen's error, and they managed just one shot on target.
Most fans expected Enzo Maresca to learn from his mistakes and at least show some improvement against a struggling opponent. Instead, Chelsea looked even worse on Friday. They failed to register a single shot on target and suffered an even heavier defeat.
Maresca’s inability to learn from mistakes was on full display, along with his lack of adaptability and tactical awareness. Chelsea have won just two of their last 10 matches against Premier League opposition. Yet they continue to play the same way. The insistence on inverted fullbacks, even when unnecessary, remains unchanged.
While other teams utilize their fullbacks to push up and down the flanks, Maresca insists on inverting one into midfield while keeping the other deep to form a back three. Regardless of the opponent, Chelsea sticks to the same flawed approach. When results aren’t going their way, most managers tweak their tactics, not Maresca. He seems more concerned with his philosophy than with actual improvement.