Enzo Maresca Explains Why Chelsea Were Humiliated Against Manchester City

Enzo Maresca Explains Why Chelsea Were Humiliated Against Manchester City

  • Chelsea recently fell to an embarrassing defeat in their pre-season friendly against Manchester City
  • The loss against the Citizens was the west London club's second under new manager, Enzo Maresca
  • The Italian tactician has explained why his Chelsea side fell to defeat against Pep Guardiola's outfit

Chelsea’s unimpressive start to the 2024/25 season under new manager, Enzo Maresca, continued with another defeat, this time at the hands of Manchester City.

The west London club, who recently appointed Maresca following Mauricio Pochettino's departure, have had a mixed bag of results since his arrival.

Erling Haaland and Reece James during Chelsea vs Manchester City.
Erling Haaland of Manchester City battles against Reece James of Chelsea in the first half of a pre-season match at Ohio Stadium on August 03, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. Image: Jeff Dean.
Source: Getty Images

According to Fotmob data, the 44-year-old has overseen two defeats and just one victory in his first four matches.

Among Chelsea’s string of disappointing performances, the recent loss to Manchester City has sparked considerable debate. Some supporters are questioning whether the former Leicester City manager is the right fit for Chelsea.

Read also

Napoli chief offers fresh update on Victor Osimhen's immediate future

Nonetheless, despite the growing speculation, Maresca has provided an explanation for the team’s defeat against Manchester City.

Maresca explains why Chelsea lost vs Man City

Speaking in a post-match interview captured by Metro Sports, the 44-year-old, who has so far endured a far-from-ideal start to his reign as Chelsea manager, shared his thoughts on why his side was largely outplayed by Manchester City.

The Italian manager attributed the disappointing performance to his decision to experiment with different tactics.

"We tried something new,” Maresca said. “Instead of positioning the full-back inside, we maintained a similar structure with Malo playing higher and Kiernan moving centrally.”
He added, “Of course, we don’t like losing games, but right now, my priority is to explore different approaches and prepare for the official matches at the start of the season.”

Maresca deployed Malo Gusto as a left-back with summer signing, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, positioned ahead of him on the left flank.

Read also

Mikel Obi slams Nicolas Jackson after Chelsea's loss to Man City: video

Gusto pushed forward, while Dewsbury-Hall was asked to move centrally for much of the game.

Chelsea has a chance to end their pre-season on a positive note with an upcoming fixture against Real Madrid.

World Cup winner labels Chelsea a disgrace

Briefly News in another report detailed that 1998 FIFA World Cup winner, Frank Leboeuf, has sharply criticised Chelsea's current situation.

The 56-year-old labelled the Premier League outfit a disgrace, stressing that they will never win the Premier League.

The retired footballer based his criticism on the flurry of needless signings the club has continued to make since the takeover by Todd Boehly.

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU - click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Authors:
Viginia Akinyi avatar

Viginia Akinyi (sports editor) Viginia Akinyi is the current import editor at Briefly News. She holds a B.Sc. in Communication and Public Relations from Moi University and has previously worked with Lolwe TV, Daily Nation Eldoret Bureau and SportsBrief.com. Email: viginia.akinyi@briefly.co.za