Chelsea’s new manager, Enzo Maresca, would be expecting to start his new journey in the Premier League with a win against Manchester City on Sunday. Maresca hosts Pep Guardiola in his first official match as Chelsea boss at Stamford Bridge. The Italian gaffer has previously worked as an assistant coach for Manchester City under Guardiola.
The West London club has already failed to win the pre-season match against the reigning champions in the USA. City secured an easy win against Chelsea with the help of Erling Haaland’s hattrick last month. Despite winning only one match out of six pre-season games, Maresca remains confident about taking the Blues into a new Premier League campaign. Last season, the Italian gaffer led Championship side Leicester City to win the title and helped them gain promotion to the Premier League.
Maresca becomes the fifth manager for the Blues in two years, and Chelsea fans expect that the Italian manager can continue his winning record with the West London club in the upcoming season. Chelsea has backed the new manager with ten new signings in the summer, and the tactician is also impressed with the performances of some newcomers during the pre-season games. Marc Guiu is one of the players who impressed Maresca with his stellar performance for the Blues in pre-season games.
The availability of Captain Reece James is doubtful after he suffered a setback in training, and the Italian gaffer would continue with Malo Gusto as the right-inverted full-back for the Blues on Sunday. In the absence of James, Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez might lead the Blues on Sunday against the defending champions.
How could Maresca set his team up?
Enzo Martesca is unlikely to deviate from his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation with new addition Filip Jorgensen in goal and the Swedish goalkeeper will be protected by the four-man defence by Wesley Fofana, Levy Colwill, Gusto and Marc Cucurella. The Italian gaffer would invert the full-backs into midfield once the Blues got dominance over the opponents for attacking. Argentine international Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia would be played as deep-lying midfielders, while Dewsbury-Hall might be assigned as the key man in the middle of the park.
Maresca might replace Noni Madueke from the right flank in the attacking line with English winger Cole Palmer. The 24-year-old winger will be a key player for the Italian manager in the new season. Mykhailo Mudryk would be the primary option in the left flank and the Blue’s new addition Marc Guiu might start in the number nine position for the club by replacing Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson, who played in the striker role for Chelsea last year under Pochettino. The Blues may also use French attacking player Christopher Nkunku in the upfront as a backup option. The forward has impressed Maresca by scoring multiple goals in the pre-season tour for the West London club.
Off the bench, the likes of Moises Caicedo, Benoit Badiashile, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Noni Madueke are likely to get chances against Manchester City on Saturday. Chelsea must kickstart their new season with a victory against Manchester City to establish a strong foundation. A win against the defending champions would not only bolster the team’s confidence but also set a positive tone for the upcoming matches.
