Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca reveals that he demanded that his heavily-rotated side send a message to their rivals in their 5-0 victory over Barrow on Tuesday night.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has praised his side for delivering his pre-match message in the 5-0 victory over Barrow in the EFL Cup third round.
Given the upcoming workload in the Europa Conference League, it came as no surprise when Maresca made 11 changes to the team that stormed past West Ham United at the weekend.
While Barrow started strongly, they were always chasing the game when Christopher Nkunku scored the first of his three goals in the eighth minute.
The Premier League giants were three goals to the good by half time before Pedro Neto and Nkunku extended the advantage after the break.
Maresca did not have to use a single player who started at the London Stadium three days earlier, emphasising the strength in depth of his squad.
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What did Maresca have to say?
Despite the mass alterations, Chelsea posed a constant threat to the League Two outfit, and Maresca was delighted with how the players who started seamlessly took on board his game plan and tactics.
Speaking to reporters, as quoted by football.london, the Italian said: “Very happy with the performance, with the result. We made many changes but the idea was the same.
“This has to be one of our targets, no matter who we play, for the identity of the team to always be there.
He added: “Before the game I asked the players even because we are the youngest squad in the league, I asked them to show how serious we are. Send a message: We are young, we are serious.”
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Maresca comments on Chilwell showing
Having been reintegrated back into the team, Ben Chilwell was given his first 45 minutes of the season, being used in the inverted full-back role that Maresca feels may not work for him.
With Malo Gusto only playing the first half before his pre-planned withdrawal, Chilwell has licence to get forward after the break, with the right-back – either Axel Disasi or Josh Acheampong – being less adventurous.
Maresca explained: “We tried to prepare the game, depends on the other team. We try to find solutions and Palace was one plan, today was another plan.
“Malo in the first-half, Chilwell in the second-half were playing like attacking midfielders on the ball. It is to create an overload on one side of the pitch; to have more options to pass, not just one. The idea is to give them more solutions and then they decide.”
Chelsea are next in action when they play host to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
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