Enzo Maresca explains why Chelsea suffered defeat 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 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.

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.

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.

Chelsea hands Maresca mandate for new season

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Maresca has been tasked with restoring Chelsea to its glory days.

The Italian coach, renowned for his successful stint at Leicester City where he won the English Championship, takes over following Mauricio Pochettino's departure.

Chelsea's decision to replace the highly experienced Pochettino with the less seasoned Maresca has sparked considerable discussion.

Source: TUKO.co.ke