Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca believes his squad will be better prepared for next season due to the experiences of this campaign.
The Italian is confident his youthful squad can close the gap to Premier League champions Liverpool in the next several months, with Arne Slot's side 22 points ahead of the Blues going into the weekend. Champions League qualification is still far from certain for the west Londoners, with costly home defeats to the likes of Brighton and Fulham, as well as meek draws against Everton, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth, not helping matters.
Things have taken a positive turn of late, however, and Maresca’s side face a crunch meeting with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday looking to build on the momentum that has brought wins in five of their last eight in the league. The head coach was asked whether the example of the Reds’ purchase of the experienced pair Virgil van Dijk and Alisson in 2018, which brought instant stability to the team and underpinned their subsequent Champions League and Premier League triumphs, was an example he would look to follow.
“If you want to close the gap with this kind of club, for sure (you need experience),” he said. “Our team next season will be better in terms of experience, because this year has been one more year together.
“For sure the ones that are growing like Levi (Colwill) for instance, growing a lot in terms of leadership, next year will be better and better. Hopefully the ones that we have, they can grow and can help us in terms of experience.”
A loss of form for Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson, the team’s main goal threats, from December onwards left a creativity vacuum which no-one stepped into with sufficient authority. Jackson broke his four-month duck with the winner against Everton last weekend and struck twice more as Chelsea put a foot in the Conference League final with a 4-1 win against Djurgarden in Stockholm.
Palmer is goalless since January but has looked more like himself in recent games and the Blues face Arne Slot’s side in their best shape in months. “I think the gap (to Liverpool) is there, you can see it clearly,” said Maresca. “My feeling is that we are in the right direction and hopefully this gap can be closed.
“The difference has been probably that they have been consistent compared to us. Also in terms of experience, players that know how to win games, I think they have something more compared to us.”
Maresca confirmed his players will give the new champions a guard of honour on Sunday. “I don’t think we need that to understand how good it is to win the Premier League,” he said. “We know that it’s something very nice.
“But for sure when you are there, probably in their mind (the players) are thinking ‘I would like one day to be there’.”
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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