Is the Blues back in title contention? Maresca, give Chelsea fans the courage to "dream".

The reporter reported coldly Chelsea have won four in a row to move second in the Premier League with 31 points, just four points off leaders Liverpool with a game in hand. When the Blues poached Maresca from promoted Maleca City six months ago, even the most optimistic media and fans could not have imagined such a leap forward. Maresca, who has always kept a low profile, finally said in a high-profile voice that "fans can dream": what dream? Winning the Premier League like in 2016/17.

Jose Mourinho has likened Chelsea to a "foal", suggesting that they are not mature enough to compete with Arsenal and Manchester City. Good journalists have used this to make things difficult for Maresca, as the average age of the Blues' squad this season is only 23.8 years old. But Maresca is by no means compromised: "I've been raising strong Golden Retrievers for the last 20 years, which animal compares the Blues now? Little milk dogs? No, we proved ourselves in all the games, the team is young but very mature. ”

What makes Maresca so confident is Chelsea's 30-man first-team squad, effective rotation policy and the best attacking power in the Premier League with attacking football. Chelsea have scored more league goals (35) than even Liverpool at the top of the table (29). Halfway through the season, the Blues have scored 61 goals in 23 games in all competitions, seven more than in the entirety of Boehly's first season (2022/23). That's 9 more goals than last season's Premier League goals, and the average number of goals scored per game in all competitions (2.65) is 54% higher than last season's (1.72 goals)!

What has Maresca changed for Chelsea? The first is the stable 4231 tactical formation, which makes the players very aware of the tactical requirements of the competition. Maresca had already coached Palmer as Manchester City's Under-21 manager, and while Marbella was still on holiday in Marbella in the summer, it was decided that Palmer, who had scored 22 Premier League goals on the right side last season, would move to the middle, with the Blues' new possession tactics centred around him. In addition to Palmer, Maresca has also identified Caicedo and Lavia as a midfield barrier, working with Palmer and the wing-backs up front (Gusto or Cucurella) to control the game.

On the basis of the stability of the formation, Maresca first established the principle of "state-only" competition. Convinced that data analysis is the most reliable reference, the Italian asked the data analyst to provide comprehensive data on all players, with strength and conditioning coach Alvarez and performance director Cavanag responsible for improving player "availability". The Blues have avoided injury so far this season, which is the biggest advantage over Arsenal and Manchester City. In addition to adequate data monitoring of the physical condition of the players, adequate rotation is the basis for ensuring that injuries are not plagued.

Maresca rotated as many as seven key players against Southampton in midweek: the most in a Premier League game since December 2022. In the away game against Tottenham, he set a new rotation record, rotating 8 main players in a single game. Maresca has even made adjustments on a regular basis, such as moving Palmer to the left to avoid targeted marking against Newcastle United in the Premier League. Jackson was too tired to replace Nkunku, Neto was injured and Felix was on top, Madueke and Enzo were not doing well, and Sancho and Lavia could be on the board. Such a large rotation ensures a lot of energy and makes it difficult for opponents to set up their defenses. According to the Daily Mail, Maresca's tactical position changes are dizzying, closer to a 5D version of chess than a more step-by-step checkers.

Maresca's ability to tap into the potential of his players has been very effective, and his hands-on approach to training has allowed him to better understand the characteristics of his players. Caicedo, who disappointed last season, is now the Premier League's best tackle and interceptor, and centre-forward Jackson has found his groove and worked alongside Palmer to give the Blues more of a blossom in attack. Chelsea's young players are inexperienced but fearless, and the vibrancy of competition makes the atmosphere in the dressing room very different from what it used to be.

Of course, Chelsea aren't perfect right now. In addition to the inferior defensive performance, it is also that there is no advantage against the traditional top six games: losing to Manchester City, Liverpool, drawing with Arsenal and Manchester United, only winning against Tottenham, or reversing to the limit after falling behind 0-2. A busy winter of fixtures is an advantage for Chelsea, who are well-stocked with first-team personnel, but it will not be until the second stretch of the season in March that discussions really begin to begin to start in contention for the title. However, Maresca is at least optimistic about the prospects of the young Blues: 'When I first met with the owner and sporting director, I said that Chelsea would be one of the dominant players in the Premier League in the next five to 10 years. ”

In a way, there are no superstars in this Chelsea team, and the only core is coach Maresca. This brings to mind Jose Mourinho, who has allowed the Blues to dominate the Premier League, and the pre-match poster for Tottenham's former Blues is Maresca alone. It may be too early to talk about Chelsea winning the title, but one can at least be sure that Maresca's Blues are on the right path and full of confidence.