Why Enzo Maresca argued with the fourth official and the actions that got the Chelsea boss excited vs Man City

Enzo Maresca’s first-ever Premier League game ended in a defeat, but there were some positive notes from the 2-0 loss to champions Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side deserved their win, but there were definitely moments where Chelsea looked good.

Tactically, they will need to work on the number 10 position, as Enzo Fernandez, the captain on the day, didn’t impress much in that role. Cole Palmer, one of the best players in Europe last season, was also not as involved as he would have liked, so adjustments will be necessary.

Overall, this was a work in progress, and Chelsea fans, especially those at Stamford Bridge, will want them to be more urgent. However, the support was there, and there was no booing of the team or anything of that sort.

Enzo Maresca needs to understand that in this country, only Manchester City have won more major titles than Chelsea in the last decade, so the expectations will be high, and his team will be judged with the same intensity as those before him.

But in a game that saw Todd Boehly, one of the co-owners, back at the Bridge for the first time in a while, here are a few things we noticed that you might not have seen on television:

Chelsea's Bench Position Gives Maresca an Advantage

Last season, Mauricio Pochettino decided to switch the home bench from the left of the East Stand to the right. We are already seeing the meticulous Maresca take advantage of that. Given where Chelsea's bench is positioned, Maresca was always standing on the line that divided the pitch halfway, so whenever Manchester City made a substitution, he’d hear the final instructions given to players before they came on. He would quickly call one of his players to make a few tactical adjustments. I suspect he’ll be doing this a lot going forward.

Chelsea's Team Spirit is Growing

One of the things that would have pleased the Chelsea manager, despite the defeat, was the team spirit. The Chelsea boss spoke about the need for unity and even mentioned how he was disappointed with the lack of support during a previous game against Inter Milan. He would have been delighted with the way Wesley Fofana sprinted forward to join the rest of the team in contesting for a penalty after the ball hit Mateo Kovacic’s hand. More than half of the Chelsea team claimed it, which shows the strength in numbers that Maresca has been talking about.

Making His Point to the Fourth Official

One of the interesting aspects was the duel between Jeremy Doku and Malo Gusto, which took place in front of the Chelsea bench in the second half. Doku initially tried to take on Marc Cucurella, but the European winner was so effective that he forced Doku to switch sides. Against Gusto, Doku had some brilliant moments, but Maresca was quick to speak to the fourth official every time he felt a foul was soft, all while encouraging his right-back.

The Big Shout of "Bravo" to Fofana

One moment that got the Chelsea boss both excited and frustrated was when Fofana charged forward and appeared to have won the ball cleanly from Kevin De Bruyne. De Bruyne screamed and went to the ground after Fofana's challenge, prompting Maresca to jump in frustration before protesting the decision—but not forgetting to tell his player "bravo." It wasn’t a massive moment, but you’d think Fofana would have been delighted to get the approval and support of his manager, despite the foul being called.