It’s official! Enzo Maresca is the perfect manager for Chelsea

Chelsea are one game away from topping the Premier League table for the first time since December 2021.

The Blues face Everton on Sunday afternoon in the knowledge they will leapfrog Liverpool to claim first place in the English top flight table if they are able to beat the Toffees at Goodison Park for just the second time in seven years.

The west London giants endured a miserable first two seasons under Clearlake Capital’s ownership, but the fruits of their ambitious recruitment strategy are beginning to show.

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Chants of “we’ve got our Chelsea back” rang around St Mary’s during the Blues’ 5-1 win over Southampton at the start of December, and it’s fair to say that Enzo Maresca has well and truly brought a feel-good factor back to the club.

Chelsea have won eight consecutive matches in all competitions, a feat they haven’t achieved since Antonio Conte’s memorable debut season at the club, while their 2-1 loss to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup in late October is their only defeat in their last 14 games.

The Blues have their swagger back and Maresca is to thank.

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Why Enzo Maresca has turned into the perfect manager for Chelsea

The appointment of Maresca back in June raised eyebrows for several reasons.

Firstly, Mauricio Pochettino finally seemed to have found a winning formula at Stamford Bridge, but he was ruthlessly culled despite an impressive end to the 2023-24 season.

The Argentine is considered to be an elite head coach, yet he was dismissed with stone cold emotion.

Furthermore, his replacement, Maresca, had very little experience at the top level.

He had, of course, guided Leicester City to top spot in the Championship, however the Foxes almost blew an insurmountable lead and given the squad at his disposal, promotion was the least that was expected.

Maresca had also spent time working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, but he had never managed a team in the Premier League.

It was, therefore, a risky appointment. In hindsight, it was a risk worth taking.

The Italian has cultivated a winning mentality at Chelsea and talk of the Blues being ‘Billion Pound Bottlejobs’ has certainly dissipated.

Pre-season was concerning, however Maresca has implemented a style of play that has resulted in Chelsea tallying the highest number of goals scored in the Premier League this season (37) and the third-fewest conceded (19).

Maresca was widely slammed for his treatment of Chelsea’s ‘Bomb Squad’ during the summer transfer window, but his methods helped cull a large proportion of the club’s first-team squad, while he has prioritised players he believes have a future at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old has also somehow kept a host of big-money signings relatively happy despite their lack of Premier League involvement, with the Europa Conference League proving to have been a real blessing.

In addition, Maresca has crucially tapped into Chelsea’s impressive academy set-up. Tyrique George has already made eight first-team appearances this season, while Josh Acheampong is expected to see his involvement increase significantly following news of his new contract.

Meanwhile, Sam Rak-Sakyi, Shumaira Mheuka, Kiano Dyer, Harrison Murray-Campbell and Ato Ampah have all made their full senior debuts so far this season, with Maresca providing youth players with an opportunity.

Chelsea fans are desperate to see academy graduates given a chance in the first-team and following the summer sales of Conor Gallagher, Ian Maatsen and Lewis Hall, purely for PSR reasons, Maresca’s desire to reward youngsters with senior minutes has helped heal the relationship between the club’s hierarchy and its supporters.

Maresca has been a breath of fresh air at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea can certainly say they picked the right man to lead their team towards future glory. Success may not happen immediately, but Maresca looks well placed to guide the Blues back to the top of English football.