Enzo Maresca came under fire after Chelsea’s poor showing against Leeds, and the manager has responded to that criticism ahead of their match against Bournemouth.
Coming off in good shape, expectations were high for Chelsea. But Daniel Farke’s warning not to underestimate his side went apparently unheeded. Leeds were sharper in every department.
One aspect of the performance in particular drew heavy criticism from supporters, and Maresca has not shied away from addressing it.
Enzo Maresca admits mistake over Josh Acheampong decision after Chelsea’s defensive issues
Chelsea’s attacking play left a lot to be desired, but it was their defensive issues that stood out most.
The backline selection raised eyebrows even before kickoff, and it did not take long for those concerns to play out on the pitch.
Fans were particularly upset with the decision to start Tosin Adarabioyo, who gifted Leeds their third goal in the second half.
Speaking before the Bournemouth match, Maresca admitted he regretted not going with Josh Acheampong instead.
As covered by Football London, the Italian manager explained: “One of the regrets I have after the game is I didn’t play with Josh [Acheampong].
“So the reason why we played with Trev [Chalobah], Tosin and Benoit [Badiashile] is because, analysing them, we saw that most of the time they were playing long ball for Calvert-Lewin, for Nmecha. And so we prefer physicality to win aerial duels. But even with that, we lost most of them.”
The logic behind his choice made sense on paper, but the execution let him down.
If Maresca is looking for more height and defensive stability at right-back, Acheampong has shown he can handle the job. Chalobah fits better centrally, while Tosin might be better used off the bench.
Maresca surprised by Chelsea’s showing against Leeds
Maresca was just as caught off guard as anyone by how poorly his side played, especially given their recent form heading into the match.
“I was very surprised about the performance, no doubt, because I expect more in general, in all the aspects. But also, again, when we prepared the game, we analysed all the small details.
“We were aware about the Arsenal game, to play with 10 players for one hour, making some rotation because we need to protect players. So we were ready that, probably in some moments, we would struggle, but not for the entire game.”
Maresca has explanations for why things went wrong at Elland Road. But right now what supporters are looking for is accountability and clear signs of improvement.
Chelsea will look to get back on track quickly with another Premier League fixture coming up this weekend.
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