Chelsea: “We still confuse some things” — Enzo Maresca

In a pre-season clash that has left Chelsea fans reeling, the Blues suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Celtic at Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana in what stands as the second game under new head coach, Enzo Maresca.

Goals from Matt O’Reily and Kyogo Furuhashi put Brendan Rodgers’ side in control during the first half, while Luis Palma and Mikey Johnston added to the Scottish champions’ tally after the break. Christopher Nkunku’s late penalty was scant consolation for a Chelsea side struggling to find their footing.

This latest loss follows a 2-2 draw with Wrexham, raising serious questions about Chelsea’s form and readiness for the upcoming Premier League season.

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“As we said, the result is always important,” Enzo Maresca reflected post-match.

“For us, we need to analyse the game in general. I think on the ball, the team were 10 times better than in the game against Wrexham, and that is important because we can see the amount of chances we created in the first-half and second-half.”

Maresca’s optimism about their ball-playing improvements was tempered by a candid assessment of their defensive struggles.

“Off the ball, for sure, we can improve things and you can see sometimes we confuse when we need to play short, a little bit longer. It is part of the process. One of the things we did bad today was when the ball was not under pressure, to maintain the high-line. When the ball is not under pressure, you need to drop.”

The new Chelsea boss’s comments highlight tactical confusion and a lack of defensive coherence, issues that must be resolved quickly to avoid another disappointing season.

“We still confuse some things on and off the ball. For me, it’s normal at this moment,” Enzo Maresca concluded, urging patience as the team adapts to his methods.