Marc Guiu has had to be incredibly patient since Chelsea recalled him from Sunderland, but he came on at the interval and played 45 minutes in the win over Nottingham Forest.
The Blues secured three points in the Premier League with an important 3-0 victory at the City Ground.
Josh Acheampong, Pedro Neto and Reece James scored in the second period to seal an impressive return from the international break. Afterwards, Peter Crouch suggested Chelsea could compete for the title in the 2025-26 season.
It is now four wins, two draws and two defeats for Enzo Maresca’s side in the league. Next, they host Ajax in the Champions League before a league fixture at home to Sunderland.
Marc Guiu, 19, made his first Chelsea appearance of the season with a late cameo in the victory against Liverpool before the international break. Well, he got an entire half against Forest to show what he can do.
Even though the teenage striker didn’t get on the scoresheet, his presence as a conventional number 9 worked a treat. Not only did it put the opposition defence under more pressure with physicality and movement, but it also allowed Joao Pedro to play deeper and impact things more.
Chelsea fans urge Enzo Maresca to start Marc Guiu
After the victory away to Forest, the comprehensive message from Chelsea fans on X is that Guiu needs to be promoted to the starting line-up.
One fan wrote: “Very happy for Guiu today. I get that he’s raw but so is Delap. He presses really well, works hard & is very strong. We need a 9 to play the 9 position. So why not start him and give him a run of games? He was very good today.”
“Guiu needs to start our games from now on. Joao Pedro should play as a 10. It’s that simple,” another commented.
One supporter posted: “Guiu needs to start every game.”
“I hope Maresca can see why Guiu has to start games for us,” another said.
Guiu has been frustrated at his lack of minutes since returning to Stamford Bridge, but surely he’s enhanced his chances of playing more often.
In Chelsea’s squad, the teenage centre-forward is the most natural alternative for injured star Liam Delap. Even if his overall style is still a little raw, he occupies defences with such a fantastic work rate.
It should be a clear wake-up call for Maresca that the team looks better with a natural striker leading the line.
What Enzo Maresca said about Marc Guiu’s latest performance
In his post-match interview, Chelsea head coach complimented Guiu and his aggression off the bench against Forest.
Maresca said via Football.London: “I think Marc Guiu was good… I think he was on for 15 minutes against Liverpool, fighting with [Virgil] Van Dijk, [Ibrahima] Konate, [Ryan] Gravenberch, and he was very good. Today, after one minute of the second half, he won a corner against Morato. So we need that from Marc.”
The way that he runs the channels and makes himself a nuisance can work perfectly. Without a doubt, he should have a role to play in the immediate future due to the injuries in the squad, mainly to Delap and Cole Palmer.
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