After a strong start to the season, Enzo Maresca claims that his Chelsea team is ahead of schedule, but he also issues a warning, saying that Tuesday’s Carabao Cup matchup with Barrow may be “the worst game for us.”
With Saturday’s 3-0 triumph against West Ham, Maresca became the only manager since Pep Guardiola at Manchester City to win three straight games away at the beginning of a Premier League career.
Chelsea’s lone league setback so far is their 2-0 loss to City on the first day of the season. Since then, the Blues have dropped just three points to finish fifth in the early table with 10 points from their four games.
They also emerged victorious from a difficult Conference League qualifying match against Servette, but Maresca claims that his team’s surprising growth in terms of style of play has been more noticeable.
The Italian stated, “We were ahead of where we expected to be today.” “Not in terms of outcomes, but rather in terms of the team’s development and performance.
“We still have a lot to learn, therefore in terms of outcomes, I believe we are a long way from teams like Manchester City and Arsenal. We need to get better in a lot of areas, both defence and attack.
However, what matters most is our current sense that we are heading in that direction. That is crucial.
The Blues hope to improve on Liverpool’s final-season loss when they kick up their Carabao Cup campaign at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
Under the guidance of former Tottenham midfielder Stephen Clemence, League Two leaders Barrow will be arriving in west London in fine form, and Maresca feels his team cannot afford to undervalue their opponents.
He continued, “It’s risky because football is full of these games that you think are simple but are difficult.”
“For us, this is the worst game right now. It is preferable to play a different kind of game. We must therefore treat it seriously. We can’t let ourselves slack off a little.