Chalobah’s Defensive Disaster
In Chelsea’s 3-1 Champions League loss to Bayern Munich, Trevoh Chalobah had a tough time. He scored an own goal off Michael Olise’s cross after Tosin Adarabioyo couldn’t clear it. Over the course of the game, Chalobah didn’t make any tackles, lost half of his ground battles, and his long passes were off-target half the time, per media reports. This created problems in the midfield. Another player also had a bad game, too.
Neto’s Ineffective Outing
Pedro Neto had a quiet game on the left, quite different from Cole Palmer’s performance. He had the ball 25 times in his 68 minutes—less than Sanchez. He completed 11 of 14 passes but lost the ball nine times and was beaten on the dribble twice. Neto’s expected goals and assists totaled just 0.04. He didn’t get a shot on goal and failed 50% of his dribble attempts. Maresca might want to consider replacing him soon.
Injuries Strain Squad Depth
Chelsea battles multiple setbacks, as Maresca updated on the injury list. Cole Palmer is dealing with a groin issue, and Liam Delap is out for about 10-12 weeks because of a hamstring tear. Levi Colwill and Dario Essugo will also be out for a while. Plus, Moises Caicedo and some other players are tired after playing internationally. All this means that the team is depending on players like Neto, who haven’t been consistent.
Lessons from Brentford and Defensive Needs
In the recent 2-2 Brentford draw, Maresca stressed post-match concentration, lauding Palmer’s goal but decrying lapses. He urged sustained focus. Meanwhile, Maresca seeks a new defender addition, craving a “big man” to solidify the backline after Bayern exposed frailties. Therefore, dropping Neto fits broader squad tweaks.
Author’s Note
Reports say Pedro Neto hasn’t performed well for Bayern, similar to Chalobah. Because of this, the media suggests Maresca should drop him for the United game.
Injuries make things tricky, but Brentford’s strong performance is encouraging. Still, the team needs a stronger defense, or they’ll remain weak in that area.
Fans want to see changes. They think Neto should be benched, the defense should be improved, and the team should focus on getting back on track in Europe. To make his vision work, Maresca needs to make some brave choices now.
As featured on Chelseanews.com
