Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has challenged his side to take greater control of matches after what has been a thrilling but chaotic start to his reign.
Saturday’s 4-2 home victory over Brighton, in which Cole Palmer scored all four Blues goals before the break, came five weeks after a similarly topsy-turvy win at Wolves, when a Noni Madueke hat-trick secured a 6-2 romp but not before the visitors had twice thrown away the lead.
Maresca admitted Fabian Hurzeler’s side, who were gifted two goals by errors from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, had taken his team by surprise as he sought to explain away a crazy first half in west London, but indicated he would like fewer surprises from his players in future.
“Against Brighton I was more happy about the second half than the first half,” he said.
“Brighton did things completely different things against us. They surprised us in the first half.
“At half-time we adjusted the way we were pressing and the second half worked much better. But for sure, we would like more control.”
Asked whether he would rather see his team finish level and in control than come out on top in a pinball-style half, the Italian said: “Sometimes (yes), because you analyse the results but I analyse the performance. In the second half we created five or six clear chances.
“I know we are here to analyse the results, but the performance second half was good, we created many chances, we controlled better and we didn’t concede chances to them. This is why I say the second half I was more happy.”
Four-goal hero Palmer misses Thursday’s Conference League opener at home to Belgian side Gent after he was left out of the club’s European squad, as were Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia, with Maresca citing the need to protect the trio.
Palmer has scored six times in the opening six league games of the season after finishing as the Blues’ leading scorer with 22 goals during his debut campaign.
“It is not about reliance (on Palmer),” said Maresca. “We have already played some games without Cole. For sure, for us or any team in the world, Cole is an extra, something that you need. But we also need to protect some players. They need that.”
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Maresca has led Chelsea to fourth in the Premier League after six matches and, with 15 goals, they are the division’s leading scorers.
“Sometimes you don’t win games and the performance was good and you deserved to win, for instance against Palace (1-1 draw),” he said. “Sometimes you win and you didn’t deserve, like against Bournemouth (1-0 win).
“In terms of points, for sure we are doing well. In terms of the way we are playing, we are ahead of my expectations, we are doing very well and we are in the right direction.
“But we have many things we need to improve, attack better, defend better. But the feeling is good.”
Head coach of Thursday’s opponents Gent, Wouter Vrancken, promised his side will go to Stamford Bridge to fight.
“Saying we have nothing to lose is maybe a little bit too harsh,” he said. “We have something to lose but we have to go into the game like a real team, showing guts on the pitch.
“When you lose here no one is going to kill you, but you have your pride as a player and as a team also.”
