BBC reporter questions this Enzo Maresca decision as Blues struggle to half time draw | OneFootball

We’ve reached half time in the Chelsea – Brentford game, and it’s been just the sort of game we expected.

Tough, physical, intense. The home team are in our faces and causing a lot of threat running in behind. Which begs the question of why manager Enzo Maresca didn’t also expect this sort of test.

He played his strongest team against Spurs on Thursday night, who barely put up a fight, then changed 5 players for this game, as though it would be easier. As Nizaar Kinsella put it on the BBC, on the evidence of the league table, and the course of this game so far, the coach has got it the wrong way around:

“This already looks a far bigger test than Tottenham were on Thursday for Chelsea,” Kinsella wrote.

“Brentford are in their faces, creating chances and forcing mistakes from the Champions League chasers. It leaves a question open about whether Enzo Maresca should have rotated more for Spurs instead, especially given the league table at the minute.”

Chelsea have big guns to bring on

Cole Palmer chats with team-mates before West Ham game. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

It’s not over yet, and of course there’s something to be said for having the likes of Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson to come on in the second half if the game is there to be won.

But especially, in defence, where we’ve already made our thoughts clear about the manager’s decision to change the player or position in 3 of the 4 slots, we think Maresca has rotated a stage too far.

And what if Brentford go ahead? Then we’re suddenly bringing out the big guns just to play for a draw. That’s just not good enough. The fact that we’re currently in the Champions League places gives a very false impression of security. It’s very tight in there and we’ve got the hardest fixtures to play.