**Enzo Maresca praised his Chelsea players for adapting their gameplan after Leicester City tried to spring a surprise.**
Marc Cucurella’s strike [**was enough for the Blues to secure a 1-0 win**](https://www.westlondonsport.com/chelsea/cucurellas-winner-takes-chelsea-back-up-to-fourth) and move up to fourth in the Premier League.
Maresca admitted he had prepared his team to face a back four, only to be caught off-guard when Leicester started with five at the back.
“We have watched all of Leicester’s games under Ruud van Nistelrooy, and almost all the games since he arrived, they play always with a line of four. But they arrive here with a line of five,” the head coach said.
“All the training sessions, and all the preparations for the game, they go: ‘Rubbish, you need a new plan’.
“Before the warm-up, before the players went out, we needed to give them a new plan.
“This is why I was so happy, because the way the players adapted – what you don’t see from the outside – it has been top, fantastic. Leicester came here thinking they could surprise us.”
Maresca was pressed on the tactical tweaks he made ahead of kick-off – and suggested goalscorer Cucurella had to switch roles at the last minute.
He explained: “The plan was to have Marc Cucurella next to Moises Caicedo as a midfielder – with three and two. Three at the back with Cucurella next to Moises.
“But when we see them defending with five, we needed to attack with six.
“So Cucurella was higher. Christopher Nkunku was in the pocket, Cole (Palmer), Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernandez, and on the other side, Jadon (Sancho).
“We tried to attack with six. The pressing was completely different. And the way the players adapted has been top.
“As I said, sometimes they (opponents) think they can come here and surprise us, but the players have been so good.”