It’s hard not to back Maresca to be honest. Let’s put things in perspective…

- Liam Delap, our best striker, has hardly had a kick this season

- Cole Palmer, our best player, just made only his SECOND (!) appearance at Stamford Bridge this season

- Levi Colwill, our best CB, tore his ACL a few weeks before the season started

- Chelsea have received 6 (!) red cards this season. 7, if you’re counting Maresca’s red card. One of these red cards led to our most important player, Caicedo, missing three matches through suspension.

- This goes without mentioning the two week summer break we had after winning the CWC (nearly every other Club in the PL had a full preseason + summer off)

Please, tell me. Wouldn’t every team struggle if circumstances like this arose? Considering the context, we’re in a good position. I mean, come on. For all we know, we might win another trophy this season.

Via CFCdruw on X

Chelsea are the third highest scorers in the PL.
Chelsea have the most clean sheets in the PL.
Chelsea have the second best defence in the PL.

All without Palmer, Levi or a proper 9 all season.

Make judgments over a wide sample of games, not just one game

Don’t flip flop your opinions based on a poor run of form

Tuchel has used Odoi & Loftus-Cheek as wing backs. Conte used Victor Moses as wing back. Mourinho used Azpi as a left back. Ancelotti used Valverde as right back. Flick uses Garcia as a midfielder. Pep uses O’reilly & Nunes as full backs, he’s even used Stones in midfield before.

But it’s only a problem when Maresca plays James in midfield or Chalobah as RB😂

I hope some of you see how childish and faultfinding you can be with our manager sometimes

Via Boy_Teegee on X

🚨Chelsea’s goals by position so far in the PL. [sky]

#OpponentWatch

The truth is teams have this inexplicable yet valid fear when facing us, resulting in Playing safe and parking buses.

Against us, they deploy their best of the dark arts.

It's difficult having an open game like the one both United and Bournemouth are having against each other.

But they are right. Those that have tried like Everton have ended up crying in the toilet.

🏥 Dan Burn set to miss the next 4-6 weeks with fractured rib/lung damage. Newcastle still missing Botman, Trippier & Krafth, with the trio set to miss the next 2 weeks. Nick Pope could return on Saturday.

(via Sky Sports)

Chelsea play Newcastle next in the Premier League.

Just look at the state of Gittens. They would just blame Maresca

50M was really crazy. Total shame considering that Palmer was 42M.

Too amature

Please give Maresca some good players. i’m genuinely pleading on his behalf. This is sad to watch

Caicedo is the only one that is technically good enough in that half. Everyone else moves like football was a career suggestion.

#INGAME

They'll want and even throw tantrums to pay us 5M for Anselmino. But we paid what we paid for what they gave us.

Just unbelievable

Many will single out Buonanotte’s “basic” first-half display, but in truth he was set up to fail by the tactical structure. Operating alone in the No.10 role, every time he received on the turn he was immediately swarmed by Cardiff’s midfield, with no passing angles or support around him.

The lack of space made it impossible for him to influence the game. We set up with a double pivot and a back three, clearly prioritising protection against Cardiff’s counter-attacks. Santos hasn’t crossed the halfway line, and Caicedo has been anchored deeper, unlike our usual setup where Enzo pushes forward to overload central areas.

As a result, Buonanotte was completely isolated, forced into low-percentage touches and losing possession not through poor technique, but through a lack of structural support.

We've not even talked about the Chemistry between those attackers. ZERO.

Trott, Cardiff’s goalkeeper, is very good with his feet.