Enzo Maresca started his job as Chelsea head coach with a loss as Manchester City grabbed all three points at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon. Pep Guardiola’s team won 2-0 at the Blues’ home ground, with Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic scoring the goals.
Chelsea Midfielder Puts on a Positive Display
Despite worries about Chelsea’s performance in pre-season games after some big losses, the team played well against the Premier League champions and had a great chance to equalise through Nicolas Jackson in the second half. The home side rued a missed opportunity however when Kovacic sealed the win in the 84th minute with a shot from outside the box.
Romeo Lavia made his first Chelsea start in the Premier League one year after an expensive move from Southampton. The young player, who stood out in pre-season for the west London club, continued to impress with a great performance against his former team. He used the ball well when he had it, playing against some of the best players in the Premier League. In the first half, the midfielder showed his confidence by outwitting his fellow Belgian, Kevin De Bruyne, and moving up the field.
The 20-year-old played for just 67 minutes but showed why Chelsea signed him in the first place. Lavia’s stats from the game stood out his 97% pass completion rate, with 38 out of 39 passes finding their mark.
The Chelsea player made three passes in the final third, hit his one long ball, set up one scoring chance, and lost the ball just once. He further made eight defensive moves, regained possession six times, cut off three passes, won four of his challenges, and let only one player dribble past him.
Mauricio Pochettino signed the Belgian star last season, but injuries limited him to a single appearance lasting just 32 minutes. Maresca has already seen more playing time from Lavia than Pochettino did. The player’s strong start against Man City left everyone at Chelsea eager to see more.
Could We See More of Fofana This Season?
Pochettino had to make do with just 32 minutes from Lavia last season. The Argentine coach couldn’t put Wesley Fofana in any of his lineups in the 2023/24 season because of an ACL injury. Fofana has gone through a tough time with injuries over the last three seasons. He has been out for more than 100 games due to a broken leg and knee problems.
It is a big lift for the player to have returned during the club’s US tour and show himself and others he can play often. He’ll have learned a lot from Maresca’s choice to start him against the champions. Chelsea have many other options for defence. Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile were both on the bench that day, while Axel Disasi didn’t make the squad at all.
Fofana faced a tough challenge in his return to Chelsea’s Premier League lineup squaring off against Haaland one of the world’s top strikers. The former Leicester player held his own overall and even knocked the Norwegian to the ground with a hard tackle in the second half.
Though a bit hasty at first in his eagerness to make a strong impression, the defender showed significant improvement after halftime and put in a solid performance. During his playtime, he made one block, one interception, three clearances, five recoveries, and nine defensive actions. While Fofana lost six out of seven duels, opponents dribbled past him once throughout the match.
As Maresca aims to build a Chelsea squad capable of vying for top spots in the Premier League and major trophies, both Fofana and Lavia are sure to play crucial roles for him in the coming months. What Pochettino lost might end up benefiting Maresca.
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