Premier League football is a weekly exercise in high-stakes problem-solving. Like most coaches, Enzo Maresca knows when his team does not have all the answers. There was a reason, beyond mere expectation management, why Maresca insisted this week that Chelsea are not ready to compete with Manchester City , Arsenal and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League just yet.
The contrasting experiences of their last two league games at Stamford Bridge succinctly summed up why. Advertisement Against Brighton , as against Wolves at Molineux last month, Chelsea proved they are even better equipped than they were last season to destroy teams who afford them the luxury of space to attack; to overwhelm less talented opponents who seek to do what they do: press the passer and pass through pressure. Nottingham Forest arrived at Stamford Bridge determined to deploy asymmetric strategies.
You want to dominate open play? We will play for set pieces. You want to control the ball on the ground? We will control the air. You want to play fast? We will waste time on every restart.
You want to press us into turnovers? We will grab the ball in both hands to stop you getting away. James Ward-Prowse’s second yellow card is likely to be the funniest seen in the Premier League all season, but it was also indicative of Forest’s broader approach. Nuno Espirito Santo’s team were dogged in a low block that only got lower after being reduced to 10 men, but were unerringly wily.
Every bit as sure of th.
