Following Enzo Maresca’s managerial appointment, which Chelsea players are set to benefit most from his arrival? The Italian’s unique tactical system will create a new-look team in which key players are set to thrive.
Top 5 Chelsea Players Who Will Thrive under Enzo Maresca’s Tactical System
Marc Cucurella
Due to Maresca’s systematic approach of inverting one fullback, Marc Cucurella appears to be the biggest beneficiary of the Italian’s tactics. Cucurella flourished under the inverted fullback role at the end of Mauricio Pochettino’s campaign, offering energy and relentless defensive cover for his midfield partner. The Spaniard’s performance at the Euros continued to highlight his increase in form as many fans even consider him to be the tournament’s best defender thus far. Following Maresca’s imminent arrival, Cucurella’s Renaissance is bound to persist.
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The Italian typically instructs one of his fullbacks to push into midfield while the other joins a makeshift back three, creating a temporary 3-2-2-3 shape. As shown during Pochettino’s tenure, Cucurella provides a perfect fit for this inverted role and will therefore be vital to the success of Maresca’s tactical system. The fundamental reasoning that justifies this tactical move to invert the fullback can be broken down into two main reasons.
Firstly, having a 3-2 base leaves five players back to defend the transition compared to the typical three or four. As stated by Maresca himself courtesy of The Coaches Voice: “One of the reasons why we try to bring the fullback inside is defensively, because in the moment we lose the ball, we have five players defending the transition.”
Secondly, the 3-2-2-3 shape allows four players to occupy the midfield. Fielding a four man “box” midfield provides a numerical overload in the middle of the pitch to outnumber common three man midfields. Cucurella’s ability to invert into midfield will allow these tactical principles to come to fruition and enable Maresca’s fluid system to function as he envisions.
Enzo Fernandez
Unlike traditional DMs, the pivot player in Maresca’s system is responsible for less defensive work with more influence in possession. The holding mid acts as a metronome in midfield, orchestrating the play by constantly moving the ball and pulling the strings. Harry Winks typically played this role last season at Leicester, ranking in the 99th percentile for passes attempted and completed. As suggested from these stats, Chelsea’s Argentine international Enzo Fernandez is the most ideal candidate for this deep lying playmaker role.
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Fernandez was often forced higher up the pitch by Pochettino, but picking up a deeper position like he does for Argentina would considerably benefit the World Cup winner. This new role would help unlock the midfield maestro’s unrivalled passing ability, who ranks in the 90+ percentile for passes into the final third, progressive passes, and many other key metrics. Allowing the Argentine the freedom and space to pull the strings from deep may finally unveil his £100 million potential.
3) Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
The two number 8s in Maresca’s box midfield play pivotal, asymmetric roles. The more creative centre mid constantly occupied the half spaces in the attacking third while their complimentary counterpart balanced the midfield with energy and physicality. Recent signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Leicester City’s 2023/24 player of the year, filled one of these roles for Maresca as the most advanced midfielder.
The manager relied on the Englishmen to be his team’s primary creative outlet, constantly kickstarting attacks with his incisive through balls and efficient cutbacks. As a result, he enjoyed his most prolific season yet by scoring 15 goals and providing 20 assists during the Foxes’s title-winning season. Likewise, Dewsbury-Hall is primed for another productive season as he follows Maresca to Stamford Bridge.
Noni Madueke
No one suits Maresca’s direct winger profile better than Noni Madueke. Maresca instructs his wingers to hug the sidelines in order to compensate for his team’s lack of width while manufacturing wide 1v1 matchups. Takings players on 1v1 happens to be Madueke’s bread and butter, boasting a whopping 98th percentile progressive carry rate while ranking in the 93rd percentile for successful take-ons.
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Maresca’s clever approach to wing play forces the opposition into making one of two decisions. In order to account for dangerous threats out wide, they could spread out their defence but give up dangerous space down the middle to exploit. If they choose to stay compact, they risk offering X-factors like Madueke the freedom and space to thrive. Therefore, opposition defences will always have a dilemma to fear when Maresca names Madueke on the team sheet.
Robert Sanchez
Backup goalkeeper Robert Sanchez is already poised to step into Chelsea’s starting spot for his alleged ball-playing ability. Although many fans were left sceptical of his performances under Pochettino, Sanchez could be ready for a redeeming return.
Similar to many modern day managers, Maresca demands a lot of ball playing ability from his goalkeepers. Mads Hermansen, Leicester City’s main keeper for the 2023/24 season, ranked in the 96th percentile for touches per 90 amongst all keepers in the Championship. The goalkeeper’s prominence in possession suggests that Sanchez is likely more suitable for the role compared to Petrovic, whose distribution was sometimes suspect despite his shot-stopping ability.
Furthermore, the goalkeeper often joins the backline of Maresca’s 3-2-2-3 system in the build-up phase to act as an auxiliary centre back for ball progression. Likewise, Sanchez’s experience on the ball arguably makes him a more trustworthy fit for this responsibility compared to Petrovic.
