Enzo Maresca has had a great start to life at Chelsea, currently sitting third in the Premier League after 11 games played, only losing to Manchester City and Liverpool so far this season.
Chelsea face off against Maresca’s previous club, Leicester City on Saturday, as their first game back from the international break. This could see some fitness issues arise, as the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo only travelled back 48 hours before the game.
The Blues are averaging 54.7% possession so far this campaign (5th highest in the division), taking 14 shots per game (9th most in the league), and have scored 21 goals so far this season (4th most in the Premier League). This includes some big victories already this season, beating Wolves 6-2, and beating Brighton 4-2.
But it’s a defensive metric that stands out when analysing the team’s performance under Maresca, as last season, Chelsea conceded 14.6 shots per game (7th highest), leading to them conceding 63 goals, their worst defensive record in the past decade.
This season, Chelsea are conceding just 12.8 shots per match (8th lowest in the league) which is 1.8 shots fewer per game than 2023/24.
Much of this improvement is down to the structural changes made by Maresca, with this system favouring control in all phases, rather than the more end-to-end style that Mauricio Pochettino adopted.
How Enzo Maresca's system works at Chelsea
One of the key characteristics of Maresca’s system is the inverting of a full-back into midfield, creating a 3-2-5/3-2-4-1 shape on the ball, that is beginning to dominate in elite European football.
It has often been Malo Gusto inverting into the defensive midfield and even the attacking midfield role at times, depending on the midfield configuration.
But another key detail is the usage of wingers for Maresca, who wants his wide men to stay high and wide, pinning the opposition fullbacks, and being ready for 1v1 isolations.
One man who has fit the bill perfectly so far this campaign is Noni Madueke, who has the exact profile to be a Maresca winger, and that has been evident already this season.
Noni Madueke's form under Enzo Maresca
Madueke was signed from PSV in the 2023 summer transfer window, joining for a fee of around £29m. Since joining the Blues, the 22-year-old winger has made 59 appearances in all competitions, scoring 14 goals and supplying three assists.
Under Maresca, Madueke has taken it up a level, bagging five times in 13 outings. His direct runs in behind, 1v1 wide isolations, and ability to cut inside on his stronger left foot have allowed the English winger to increase his shot volume, and therefore his goal tally.
But it is also the defensive work rate of Madueke that has stood out for Maresca, tracking back, winning his duels, and often slotting in to make a temporary back five, supporting the right-back when Chelsea are without the ball.
As good as Madueke has been under the new boss, and it’s clear he is a favourite of the Italian’s for the reasons stated above, the performance levels of the 22-year-old have slightly fallen in the past few matches, which could see the perfect opportunity to unleash another one of Chelsea’s superstar wingers in their natural position.
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The best replacement for Madueke at Chelsea
Pedro Neto was described as “incredible” by Gary O’Neil when he was at Wolves, and the Portuguese winger has shown exactly why already at Chelsea, making 15 appearances for the Blues in all competitions, scoring three goals and providing three assists in 817 minutes.
During his time at Molineux, Neto made 135 appearances in all competitions, netting 14 goals, laying on 24 assists, and totalling 7,585 minutes.
But whilst the 24-year-old has been featuring as a left-winger in the Premier League for the Blues as late, he did his best work from the right-wing at Wolves, and this could be something Maresca looks to do in the next stretch of games.
Goals
0.35
0.35
Assists
0.18
0.18
xG
0.08
0.33
xAG
0.41
0.19
Progressive Carries
5.64
6.31
Progressive Passes
1.28
3.21
Shots Total
2.12
3.81
Key Passes
2.56
1.19
Crosses into Pen Area
1.28
0.36
Shot-Creating Actions
4.36
2.86
Successful Take-Ons
1.92
1.90
The metrics comparing Madueke and Neto this season show that the former proves to offer slightly more goal threat, generating more xG (0.33 to Neto’s 0.08) and taking more shots per 90 (3.81 to Neto’s 2.12). However, the Portugal international is playing on his less favoured side, meaning he is unable to cut inside and get shots off as often as he may like.
But his creative numbers have not been hindered by playing on the left, making 2.56 key passes, creating 0.41 xAG (expected assisted goals), and averaging 4.36 shot-creating actions per 90.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
This level of creation comes from often beating his man down the left, and using his stronger left foot to whip crosses into the box. However, Chelsea do not have a true aerial box presence so this method rarely leads to goals, which begs the question, could his creative toolset be better utilised on the opposite wing in order to add more variety?
By moving Neto on the right, Maresca could get the best out of a number of other players. First and foremost, though, it would allow the summer signing to fully unleash his creative toolset, putting inswinging crosses into the box on his stronger left foot, whilst also beating player for pace on the outside, and cutting it back for the arriving attackers.
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