Before the 2024/25 season kicked off, very few tipped Chelsea to have a good year given the huge upheaval at the club in recent years, but the Blues have been quietly proving people wrong.
Currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table, two points ahead of Manchester City, Enzo Maresca’s side are looking a good bet to qualify for the Champions League and have been playing some breathtaking football at times. This, despite another summer of chopping and changing that saw Chelsea spend more than any other club (£220 million) on an already bloated squad.
A new manager, in Maresca, arrived from Leicester City, with many predicting the Italian would be sacked before Christmas. Yet he and his players have defied those expectations, and Chelsea legend has been thrilled with Maresca’s work so far.
Roberto Di Matteo exclusive: "Maresca has clear ideas on how he wants to manage the team"
“I think he’s been very impressive from the start,” Roberto Di Matteo, who scored an iconic goal in the 1997 FA Cup Final as Chelsea defeated Middlesbrough at Wembley, tells FourFourTwo on behalf of BetMGM.
“He has clear ideas on how he wants to manage the team, how he wants to coach them, and also I like the way he sets the team up. I like the way they play: attractive football, on the front foot, high pressing, very attacking.
While many thought Maresca would flop at Stamford Bridge, Di Matteo backed his fellow Italian from the start.
“I never had any doubts about his ability to coach the team as I followed his career before, with Leicester,” Matteo says. “Chelsea are having a good season. It’s not always easy to manage Chelsea, especially with the amount of players they have in the squad.
Matteo feels Maresca has benefitted from quickly forming clear ideas about who he could trust.
“He was very clear at the beginning about which players he wanted to use in his system,” says Matteo. “So that made it easier. He’s proved himself to be one of the best managers in the Premier League.”
Chelsea return to Premier League action against Manchester City on Saturday in a game which could define their campaign. Should they seal all three points at the Etihad Stadium, few will doubt their ability to bag a top four finish come the end of the season.
Roberto Di Matteo was speaking on behalf of BetMGM – Play the £1million Golden Goals game this season by correctly predicting Premier League scores. BeGambleAware |18+
