After leading Leicester City back to the Premier League with 97 points and a 48 goal difference, Enzo Maresca – a former Manchester City assistant under Pep Guardiola – was appointed by Chelsea’s BlueCo.
His debut season at Stamford Bridge was marked by inconsistency, as the Blues went from downplaying title ambitions early in the campaign to desperately battling for a top-four finish by season’s end.
The 2024/25 season for Enzo Maresca could be seen as a successful one, as he guided Chelsea to a Champions League spot – the primary objective set for him by the club’s hierarchy at the start of his tenure.
However, his achievements went beyond just finishing in the top four.
Winning the UEFA Conference League added silverware and European pedigree to his résumé.
He also played a crucial role in helping injury-prone players like Reece James and Pedro Neto maintain consistent fitness throughout the campaign by managing their game times.
His overall man-management skills have earned praise, building a more cohesive and disciplined squad and restoring a sense of belief at Stamford Bridge after seasons of instability.
Maresca vs Pochettino
Compared to his predecessor Mauricio Pochettino, the Italian manager did a better job than the Argentine. With Pochettino in charge, Chelsea had a scattergun approach to games.
In the 2023/24 season, the Blues had numerous high-scoring games that saw them end the season with 77 goals, but due to this style of play, they also conceded 63.
That season they defeated Tottenham 4-1, Everton 6-0, West Ham 5-0, had an enthralling 4-4 draw with Manchester City and had a last-minute Cole Palmer winner snatch all three points in a 4-3 win over Manchester United.
At the end of the campaign, they had 18 wins and 9 losses, finishing sixth, losing the Carabao Cup final 1-0 to Liverpool and exiting the semifinals of the FA Cup to Man City.
After his predecessor was sacked, Enzo Maresca took charge and introduced a more balanced and structured approach to Chelsea’s game plan.
In the 2024/25 season, the Blues registered 20 wins, nine draws, and nine losses – a marked improvement in consistency. They scored 64 goals and conceded 43, showing a better blend of attacking intent and defensive stability.
His side earned six points more than Pochettino, returning the Blues to the Champions League despite a less prolific but more defensively solid league campaign.
Although Maresca was eliminated in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup and suffered a 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup Round of 16, he ended the season on a high.
A Levi Colwill goal gave the Blues a narrow 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on the final day of the season, securing a top-four finish and Champions League qualification.
This, combined with Chelsea’s triumph in the UEFA Conference League – a resounding 4-1 win over Spanish side Real Betis in the final – capped off a season that not only met expectations but also restored optimism at Stamford Bridge.
Déjà Vu for Chelsea Fans?
There are several reasons why Chelsea fans should be happy heading into next season – a young squad, new quality additions, offloading players who haven’t met expectations or developed as the club had hoped – but some would also be wary as they’ve been in this position before, under Frank Lampard.
The Blues’ all-time goalscorer took charge of the club during a difficult period that saw them hit with a transfer ban and key player Eden Hazard depart for Real Madrid.
The young Englishman oversaw the club throughout the turbulent period and guided them to an unprecedented top-four finish with a relatively young squad, promoting talents from the youth team to the first team, and led them to the FA Cup final.
Things were starting to look promising for Chelsea, but the following season, after the transfer ban was lifted, the club spent a staggering £200 million to strengthen the squad.
Despite the heavy investment, the Blues found themselves in a disappointing position midway through the campaign, sitting ninth in the Premier League after 19 games, 11 points behind league leaders Manchester United and five points adrift of Liverpool in fourth.
They also suffered a mid-season slump that saw them lose five games out of seven, and a short period later, they won just one of their six in the Premier League, a poor run of form that frustrated fans.
Under Lampard, Chelsea’s average starting 11 age in the league was 26 years, 58 days, a case which is similar to the current crop of Chelsea players, as the starting 11 under Enzo Maresca averages at 24 years and 36 days, the youngest across an entire Premier League season.
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How Chelsea Could Avoid Repeating the Same Lampard Mistake
Shoring Up The Defence
The addition of quality defenders would help the Blues’ cause of challenging for silverware next season.
Chelsea’s youth academy players Levi Colwill and Trevor Chalobah – the latter who was recalled after an impressive loan spell at Crystal Palace – have been a mainstay at the heart of the defence for the Blues.
Next season, they will be competing in four competitions and will need all the defensive reinforcements they can get.
In the ongoing Club World Cup, Chelsea have already faced a player they’ve been linked with this transfer window, as they came up against Benfica’s centre-back Antonio Silva in the Round of 16 of the competition.
The Portuguese put up a fantastic display against them. A first-hand showing of what he can add to the team.
Smarter Recruitment
The Blues have improved drastically in this area since the departure of Lampard, as the new owners have implemented a more structured and forward-thinking recruitment strategy.
At the beginning of their takeover, they relied on big-name signings such as Kalidou Koulibaly, Pierre Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling for short-term fixes.
Years later, BlueCo has shifted its focus toward building a sustainable model centred on identifying and developing young, high-potential talent from across Europe, supported by a strong emphasis on data-driven scouting and long-term planning.
Also, the acquisition of RC Strasbourg – now Chelsea’s sister club – has allowed the Blues to leverage a multi-club network (same as PSG and Manchester City) that provides young players with valuable game time in a competitive yet controlled environment.
Promising talents are sent to Ligue 1 to gain experience, showcase their potential, and develop in alignment with Chelsea’s long-term vision. If the players don’t reach the set height, they’ll be sold for profit.
This strategic shift represents a significant departure from the erratic spending and lack of direction that defined BlueCo’s initial approach.
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Clearer Club Identity
During Maurizio Sarri’s time at Chelsea, they played “Sarri-ball” – a distinct possession-based attacking philosophy drilled into the players by the Italian coach.But with Lampard, they lacked a consistent playing identity.
Nobody knew what their style of play was, was it counter-attacking football, possession-based, high-line press? A question that got no answers.
Maresca has created his own distinct identity centred around control and possession. While this approach has yielded positive results, certain matches have required him to adapt his formation and demonstrate tactical flexibility.
Maresca Enters Year Two With Greater Backing and Bigger Expectations
In his first season, his side lacked a clinical goalscorer. Fortunately, that has now been addressed as Ipswich’s Liam Delap and Brighton’s Joao Pedro have been added to the squad.
Meanwhile, highly coveted Brazilian talent Andrey Santos has been added to the midfield, giving Maresca ample tactical options to implement going into the new season.
Maresca showed signs of tactical immaturity in some games last campaign.
Given his time as an assistant to Pep Guardiola, many would expect him to adopt a similar level of tactical clarity and in-game management, but that hasn’t been the case.
While it’s important to remember that Maresca is still a relatively young coach finding his footing at the highest level, the learning curve at a club like Chelsea is steep.
The former Leicester City coach heads into his second season at Chelsea looking to build on a promising debut campaign and add more silverware to the club’s collection.
He’ll have the chance to do just that in the Club World Cup final, where his side will face UCL winners Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, after defeating Brazilian side Fluminense 2–0 in the last four.
Backed by the board and trusted to lead the project forward, the Italian becomes only the third manager in Chelsea’s last seven appointments to make it into a second season – a rare achievement in the club’s recent managerial history.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / MIS
Recording Date: 08.07.2025