Why Enzo Maresca wants Stamford Bridge atmosphere to improve and Eghbali keeps tradition going

When Chelsea thrashed Wolves 6-2 at Molineux, it was supposed to be the day the Enzo Maresca era took off. The team looked fluid—Noni Madueke was a star on the rise, and Joao Felix seemed to have finally found his home in West London. But since then, a defeat to Servette and a disappointing 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace, who came into the game having lost their first two matches against Brentford and West Ham at home, have brought them back to the drawing board during this international break.

Four points from a possible nine mean the knives are beginning to come out for Maresca, and his actions on the touchline suggest he already knows that at a club like Chelsea, the only thing that matters is results. On what was undoubtedly one of the hottest September 1sts in recent history, here are a few things that LondonWorld writer Rahman Osman spotted from the game at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca Wants a Loud Stamford Bridge

For the second home game running, Maresca had to urge the fans at Stamford Bridge to support the team. This time, after a bright start to the game that saw Noni Madueke force Dean Henderson into a superb save in the first half following a brilliant lofted pass from Enzo Fernandez, Maresca noticed that Chelsea were beginning to turn the screw on Palace and turned to the crowd, urging them to increase the volume as Chelsea searched for the first goal. It didn’t take long before Nicolas Jackson finished off a brilliant counter-attacking goal—a move that saw Madueke beat his man before finding Cole Palmer, who set up Jackson for the simplest of finishes.

Fernandez Excited and Frustrated His Manager in Equal Measure

One of the beauties of Enzo Fernandez is that in a good system, he’s an absolute star. Some of the passes he can deliver are just unbelievable, like the one he gave to Madueke. However, there were a few times when he gave the ball away in dangerous areas. The moment that got his manager to hang his head in his hands came in the first half when Chelsea nicked the ball from Palace, and Fernandez attempted to play a simple pass to put Jackson through, but his pass was horribly overhit, causing the chance to slip away. Maresca's natural instinct was disappointment, but he quickly switched to urging his captain to keep going.

Behdad Eghbali Continues Tradition

Behdad Eghbali is a hands-on owner. He cares deeply about the club and spends time following the team home and away. He was in Napoli this week as Chelsea sought to finalize the Victor Osimhen deal. He was also in the dressing room again, as he was after the defeat to Manchester City. If fans think he only goes into the dressing room after a win, they haven’t been watching the team at Stamford Bridge. Eghbali goes in after almost every game. Last season, Pochettino was asked on several occasions if he was comfortable with that, and the then-Chelsea boss admitted he was happy with it. For almost 20 years, Chelsea got used to Roman Abramovich, and now they will have to accept that Eghbali is here and will continue to run things his way.

Willy Caballero

Willy Caballero, one of the team members from Chelsea’s Champions League-winning squad, is back at the club as an assistant, and he’s the kind of assistant that will get fans excited. Sitting on the bench, it’s easy to see that the former Manchester City and Chelsea goalkeeper is as invested in the club as everyone else. He was constantly sharing words with the manager as Chelsea tried to tweak things and wrestle back control of the game from Crystal Palace. Throughout the match, as it became more challenging, it was clear that he was deeply affected. After the final whistle, instead of letting his emotions get the better of him, he was one of the few staff members who tried to lift the players' spirits, reminding them that this is a marathon, not a 100-meter race.