There were certainly some eyebrows raised in the summer when Chelsea appointed Enzo Maresca as their head coach, but he deserves huge credit for the way he’s tackled the position so far.
Enzo Maresca, 44, has stepped into the huge role in Chelsea’s dugout pretty seamlessly.
The Blues job has been extremely scrutinised in the media during a turbulent couple of years under the current Chelsea owners, but it does feel like things have started to calm down in recent months. In fairness, Maresca deserves credit for his part in that.
Paul Scholes recently held his hands up to admit he got it wrong about Maresca at Chelsea. He’s been pleasantly surprised with the Italian’s positive start in west London.
Levi Colwill amazed by Enzo Maresca impact at Chelsea
Chelsea centre-back Levi Colwill, 21, has been one of the biggest winners in the squad from the change of management.
He claims that the Blues have already made giant strides forward under Maresca when it comes to their mentality. Also, he mentions that the Italian boss is tactically astute and can outwit opposition managers.
When discussing Maresca’s impact so far at Chelsea, Colwill told Sky Sports Premier League: “It’s amazing what he’s done. I think the tactical side everyone sees that, but what he’s created in the environment with us is that you’ve got to be on your A game every day. Training or matches, it doesn’t matter when it is, you’ve got to prepare to go to war with each other. That’s where we are taking the biggest steps and striving for our goals because no one is taking their foot off the pedal.
“And when we step on the pitch, of course you’ve got the tactical side, where in my opinion he’s always steps ahead of the other managers. He’s always prepared. He always knows everything they’re going to do. We always have surprises up our sleeve.
Colwill claims he’s playing his best ever football under Maresca at Chelsea. He’s not the only individual in the squad impressing this season, too.
For example, Alan Shearer says Maresca is getting the best out of Blues star Moises Caicedo, who’s dominating as an all-action midfielder right now.
Time for Enzo Maresca to kick on after positive start
There’s a positive feeling around the Chelsea fanbase after a good few months to start the campaign. However, there’s no time to let up because a few bad results will start to undo all the good work.
The Blues sit fourth in a congested Premier League table going into Sunday’s match at home to rivals Arsenal. If they lose the London derby, their positive start may suddenly look a bit less bright.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 25 |
| 2 |  Man CityManchester City | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 23 |
| 3 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 19 |
| 4 |  ChelseaChelsea | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 18 |
| 5 |  ArsenalArsenal | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 18 |
| 6 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 18 |
| 7 |  TottenhamTottenham | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 11 | 11 | 16 |
| 8 |  BrightonBrighton | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 16 |
Chelsea’s only two defeats in the league this campaign have been against Liverpool and Manchester City. Therefore, it’ll be interesting to see how Maresca gets on against a top side like Arsenal this weekend.
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