Enzo Maresca has been very open about how he wants Chelsea to approach their game against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.
Chelsea head into their London derby knowing that they will finish the weekend in the top four following Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
With Newcastle United set to be a game behind due to their participation in the Carabao Cup final, though, the Blues will want to get a positive result at the Emirates.
Maresca has a plan to achieve just that and was happy to share it with the media. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has spoken about Maresca, describing him as a “magnificent coach”.
Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
Enzo Maresca’s game plan for Arsenal match
Arsenal are one of the best teams in the Premier League and are absolutely dominant at home. Nevertheless, Maresca is still hoping for Chelsea to control the game.
When asked whether his side will try to retain possession during the match, Maresca told Chelsea’s official website and the media: “The intention will be that. Then if we are able or not depends a lot on the opponent.
“If we plan the game sitting back and waiting, for sure our strikers and wingers will do 20 sprints of 60/70 metres, but when you play your game in the opposite side, there is no space to do that sprint.
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“So our plan is to control the game but they will try to press high, be aggressive, and we will probably have more space to attack in behind.”
In his pre-match press conference, the Chelsea manager also discussed who his No.1 will be for the Arsenal game and the rest of the season.
At one stage, Robert Sanchez had lost his place in goal to Filip Jorgensen after a series of mistakes.
However, Maresca has confirmed that Sanchez will start at the Emirates and is likely to be the Blues’ first-choice goalkeeper for what is left of the campaign.
Photo by Andrew Kearns - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Andrew Kearns – CameraSport via Getty Images
Enzo Maresca’s game plan will be difficult to execute at the Emirates
Like Arsenal, Chelsea are a dominant side themselves. In fact, Maresca’s team are actually second in the Premier League for average ball possession.
Rank Team Ball possession
1. Manchester City 60.8%
2. Chelsea 58.2%
3. Tottenham Hotspur 57.4%
4. Liverpool 57.2%
5. Arsenal 56.5%
Via WhoScored
The Emirates is a tough place to go, though, which is something Chelsea have discovered in recent years.
While there probably will be periods of the game where Maresca’s men see a lot of the ball, it would be a surprise if they were able to dominate a very good Arsenal side away from home.
Maresca has his philosophy, however, and it does not look like he will ever try to move away from it.