Chelsea FC, one of the most celebrated football clubs in England, has been experiencing a challenging season. The team's performance at their home ground, Stamford Bridge, has been particularly concerning. Enzo Maresca, a seasoned football analyst and commentator, recently shared his insights on why he believes Chelsea is struggling at home this season.
Chelsea began the season on an impressive note and were just two points behind leaders Liverpool at one point. This strong start had fans and pundits alike talking about their potential to clinch the title. However, Maresca consistently downplayed these conversations - a stance that now seems justified as Chelsea navigates through a difficult period.
The Blues have dropped to fifth in the table following an unfortunate run of form which includes five consecutive matches without victory. Their recent 2-2 draw with Bournemouth further highlighted their struggles.
Pattern of missed chances and conceded goals
Maresca pointed out that recent games have followed an all-too-familiar pattern for Chelsea: taking the lead early on but missing numerous chances to extend it before making sloppy errors that result in conceded goals.
Enzo Maresca, Chelsea manager, said:
“Probably when we play away, against teams that sit back, probably we are more calm because we don’t rush,” he told his pre-match press conference. When we are at home, sometimes we want to play quick because we want to show the fans that we want to be quick. This is a mistake against teams that sit back but when teams press higher, you can attack quick.
“Against Bournemouth, they were high pressing and we attacked so many times aggressively with Nico, Cole and Enzo. It depends a little bit but probably away, because of the behaviour of the other team, we could be better.”
Following the draw with Bournemouth, Maresca expressed his frustration over these missed opportunities. He hopes that when Wolves visit Stamford Bridge on Monday night, Chelsea will be more clinical in front of goal.
Better performance away from home
Interestingly enough, despite their struggles at home this season - where they've won only four out of ten fixtures - Chelsea has fared better away from Stamford Bridge. Of their total 37 points so far this season; 21 have come from away games while only 16 were earned at home.
When asked about this discrepancy ahead of Monday’s game against Wolves; Maresca acknowledged there was indeed a difference between how Chelsea played at home and away.
The upcoming game against Wolves is crucial for Chelsea. A win could help them get their season back on track and boost morale within the squad. Maresca, along with countless Blues fans, will be eagerly watching to see if Chelsea can break their winless streak at Stamford Bridge.
