Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has been left very impressed with a member of his squad, who has worked tirelessly to improve and shown real dedication after the threat of being sold.
Chelsea prepare for Liverpool after solid Premier League run
The west Londoners haven’t lost a single Premier League game since their opening weekend defeat to English champions Man City at Stamford Bridge, which is testament to the excellent job done by Maresca and his coaching staff.
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Chelsea boast impressive routine wins over Wolves – who they thumped 6-2 at Molineux – West Ham and Brighton. They’ve also displayed their grittier side on occasion too, with Christopher Nkunku’s dramatic late winner handing them a hard-fought 1-0 win at Bournemouth.
Their two draws were thoroughly entertaining ones as well. Crystal Palace keeper Dean Henderson thwarted Chelsea time and time again to earn the Eagles a 1-1 draw in west London, and the same can be said for Nottingham Forest, with Matz Sels pulling off some truly impressive stops to upset Chelsea’s excellent attack and keep the scores level.
Liverpool (away)
October 20
Newcastle (home)
October 27
Man United (away)
November 3
Arsenal (home)
November 10
Leicester City (home)
November 23
Supporters can be very satisfied with what they’ve witnessed so far, but a very tough test awaits Maresca’s side in Premier League title contenders Liverpool at Anfield.
Reece James will miss the Liverpool game as he continues to get back to full fitness, taking part in full training at Cobham for the first time in months, while midfielder Omari Kellyman remains out with a hamstring injury.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are on a fine run of form under new manager Arne Slot. The Dutchman, who took over from Reds legend Jürgen Klopp, has big shoes to fill after his departure. However, Slot has done a fine job of it so far – winning six games out of seven and conceding just two goals, which is the best defensive record in the division.
A trip to Merseyside is as tough as it gets right now, but Maresca will still fancy Chelsea’s chances considering their own promising start to 2024/2025.
He will be counting on star players like Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Moises Caicedo and the rejuvenated Noni Madueke, with an interesting bit of information coming out on the latter man this week.
Maresca happy as Madueke works tirelessly after threat of Chelsea exit
According to GiveMeSport, Maresca has been impressed with Madueke behind the scenes, as the winger showcases true professionalism and dedication to the cause.
Indeed, insiders have suggested to the outlet that the threat of being sold in the summer window has elevated Madueke to another level, and this hasn’t gone unnoticed by Chelsea’s new manager.
The former PSV Eindhoven starlet’s resurrection is said to have caught Maresca by surprise, and his new-found form at Cobham is translating onto the field. Madueke ranks among their top five performers according to WhoScored, bagging four goals in six Premier League starts, and he’s averaged more attempts at goal per 90 in the top flight than any of his teammates.
This isn’t Madueke’s first lot of eye-catching performances for the Blues, so perhaps all he needed was consistent opportunities to impress.
“Noni was very sharp, considering he was not so well on Wednesday, Thursday. He trained yesterday,” said former Chelsea interim manager Frank Lampard on Madueke last year.
“I thought he was really good against Arsenal in a tough game and got his goal. And again today [vs Bournemouth], he’s got a fantastic one-on-one ability to go past people. I like him as a lad, he’s got really good energy.
“He will know that because he’s hungry, and I want that. It’s been a breath of fresh air, him coming in and he’s training well to deserve that.”