A new Premier League campaign begins for Chelsea today and Enzo Maresca says his players cannot wait to get going.
It may have been barely a month since we were lifting silverware in New York, but the Blues are champing at the bit to return to competitive action ahead of what promises to be a thrilling Premier League campaign.
It has of course been an unusual pre-season for Maresca and his charges, and the head coach explained that while it has impacted the work done at Cobham, there is a real buzz around the training ground.
‘We haven't done any fitness tests since we started,’ he explained.
‘We started pre-season last Monday preparing for the Friday game against Leverkusen, like a normal week in a normal season. We didn’t have time to do pre-season tests or this kind of thing. I have never seen this. Probably it’s much better for the players!
‘But we are working well. We are okay, we are good. The mood of the players is very good, especially with the way we finished last season.’
Maresca is grateful the fixture list has handed us four consecutive London derbies to start the new campaign, with limited travel required after a summer full of it.
The head coach is hopeful our beginning and end to 2024/25 bodes well for the new season.
‘It will be very important to start in the same way as last season, or continue in the same way we finished last season,’ Maresca stressed.
‘We had a good run in the end of the season in the Premier League, but no doubt during the season it’s normal to have some moments where you do well for many games in a row, and some games where you struggle.'
**Digital tickets have been introduced for games at Stamford Bridge this season and you can find more information** [**here**](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/digitaltickets)**. Supporters who need help in the build-up to today's game can access various help points around Stamford Bridge. See the map below.**