In his final weeks as Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca really failed to get a tune out of his players.
Before his exit, Chelsea were on a run of one win in seven Premier League games. That has increased to eight after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City, but at least Calum McFarlane got a performance out of the team.
That is something Maresca struggled to do last month as the Blues dropped points against the likes of Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Newcastle United.
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Liam Delap performed well in the City draw, as did Andrey Santos, but they were not the only ones.
Jorrel Hato of Chelsea runs with the ball
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Jorrel Hato shone in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City
Jorrel Hato did not get too many opportunities under Maresca. In total, the defender made just two starts in the Premier League during his former manager’s time in west London.
Hato was not named in Chelsea’s first XI at the Etihad, but he was brought on in the second half and did not disappoint.
The left-back did a good job both defensively and offensively, making three defensive contributions and two key passes, as per Sofascore.
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He made a brilliant tackle to deny Bernardo Silva a shot with the score being 1-0 to City at the time.
Maresca clearly had some reservations about Hato, which were fair. He is a 19-year-old defender who has only arrived in England.
Hato also had a game to forget against Qarabag in the Champions League, but the Dutchman looks to have recovered from that and has now shown Maresca that he could have been an asset. With Marc Cucurella struggling with an injury, Hato should start against Fulham on Wednesday; he has earned the right.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca holding chin
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Chelsea shouldn’t loan out Jorrel Hato
Before Maresca’s exit, there were reports that Ajax are interested in re-signing Hato on loan.
The Netherlands international only left the Eredivisie club for Chelsea last summer, but they clearly sense an opportunity after his lack of game time at Stamford Bridge.
As was clear to see at the Etihad, though, Chelsea need cover for Cucurella. And while Malo Gusto started in the left-back position, Hato is obviously a more natural alternative.
It is too soon for Chelsea to let him go. He has something to offer and a lot of potential.
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