Sunderland had not began a recreation of soccer with a again 5 this season. Enzo Maresca is aware of this, as a result of in preparation for his or her Premier League go to to tackle his Chelsea aspect on the weekend, he watched again all 9 fixtures they’d performed in all competitions in 2025-26.
Certain, they’d switched to that system for the final 10 minutes after they had the odd result in defend, however by no means from the start. Then, they turned up at Stamford Bridge.
Regis Le Bris’ line-up dropped at 1.45pm. Maresca was in his coaches’ workplace in the back of the altering room on the time, additionally used because the debrief bunker the place he and Chelsea’s hierarchy together with co-owner Behdad Eghbali maintain conferences after each house match.
The crew sheet informed Maresca that Sunderland had been set to start out with a again 5 for the primary time when all his preparations had centred on the guests fielding a again 4.
Maresca referred to as a crew assembly. He had 10 minutes till the gamers wanted to depart to start out warming up. He informed them they could as effectively throw their tactical prep within the bin as a result of now, they needed to tackle new directions in time for the 3pm kick-off.
It was too late. Sunderland pressed aggressively. When that press was crushed, they constructed a brick wall which resembled a 5-5-0 at occasions. They had been the higher crew on the Bridge total, even when they did depend on Chemsdine Talbi scoring the winner after 93 minutes.
Enzo Maresca can not bear to look as his Chelsea aspect are crushed by Sunderland on the weekend
Pedro Neto appears to the bench for solutions throughout the defeat by Sunderland, whose tactical plan baffled the Blues
Maresca departed pissed off. Not for the primary time, he left feeling as if opponents are ripping up their common ways as a result of it’s Chelsea who they’re dealing with. The Blues boss suspects that’s partially due to what they achieved final season – ending within the Premier League’s prime 4, profitable the Convention League and turning into world champions.
After the Sunderland loss, Maresca set his analysts a brand new job. He requested them to look over final season’s losses to sides who arrange on this means for clues. Specifically, he desires to search out new methods wherein they’ll break down these cussed sides who place our bodies behind the ball.
It has been a difficulty, in any case, and Sunderland weren’t the primary to spring a shock on this Chelsea aspect who can not look ahead to Cole Palmer to return to assist unlock troublesome again strains.
Tonight, Maresca’s aspect journey to Wolves within the Carabao Cup, and it’s value trying on the win which despatched them into this fourth spherical: a less-than-convincing 2-1 victory at Lincoln. Michael Skubala is just 42, youthful than Maresca, and Lincoln is his first everlasting place as a head coach. However he too recognized methods to frustrate the life out of Chelsea.
Particularly, Lincoln switched to a again 5, pressed aggressively, and had Freddie Draper man-mark the guests’ holding midfielder Andrey Santos in order that he would battle to obtain passes from centre backs Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah. When Draper carried out that function, his team-mates pressed up in tow. With a give attention to getting the ball into the field through lengthy throw-ins and the like, Lincoln may have led by no less than 4 objectives at half-time reasonably than just one.
Chelsea’s high quality informed ultimately. A purpose from Tyrique George within the forty eighth minute and one other from Facundo Buonanotte within the fiftieth led to a 2-1 win however this contest was telling. It was a League One aspect developing with a purposeful plan to pose issues for his or her Premier League guests.
Typically, Chelsea have been capable of overcome the problem of a again 5 at brief discover. Maresca thought Nottingham Forest would use a again 4, for instance. He had ran into Ange Postecoglou on the LMA awards in September. They talked ways for some time, with Maresca telling Postecoglou he had by no means seen him use a again 5 in a recreation apart from the ultimate 10 minutes of Tottenham’s Europa League closing win over Manchester United.
Postecoglou responded by saying he hated utilizing a again 5. Maresca assumed Forest would use a again 4 when Chelsea visited the Metropolis Floor earlier this month, subsequently. However he was unsuitable. Postecoglou began with a again 5. Chelsea had been lucky to go in goalless at half-time. They had been solely capable of win 3-0 after half-time tweaks together with a triple substitution. Postecoglou was sacked instantly afterwards as his Hail Mary failed.
Maresca offers directions to Estevao – however he needed to rip up his pre-match plan for Sunderland when he noticed their crew sheet
Chemsdine Talbi of Sunderland celebrates scoring a late profitable purpose at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea additionally gained 5-1 at West Ham however in different clashes in opposition to sides fielding a again 5, they drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace, 2-2 at Brentford and misplaced 2-1 to Manchester United.
It has been a problematic system for Maresca, and a sample which you think about has not gone unnoticed by Vitor Pereira, who’s scrapping for his Wolves future going into tonight’s recreation.
The identical goes for Tottenham boss Thomas Frank, who often makes use of a again 4 however switched to a again 5 with a view to frustrate Paris Saint-Germain within the Tremendous Cup closing. Spurs took a 2-0 lead in that conflict, solely to attract 2-2 and lose on penalties.
With sides displaying a better willingness to shock Chelsea with their set-ups, Maresca might now realise he can now not danger solely planning to play a singular tactical system. There are not any ensures that the opponent will assist you by cooperating, in any case.
