Enzo Maresca Furious as Chelsea First Team Suffers Heavy Defeat Against U21s

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca scrapped a planned day off for his senior squad this week after a disappointing 3-0 defeat to the club’s Under-21s in a training match. Details have now emerged about the session and why the 45-year-old was left frustrated.

 

During the international break, Premier League managers must ensure that players not on national duty maintain their fitness ahead of the league’s resumption in April. Initially, Chelsea’s first team was set to have Thursday off, as their next fixture wasn’t scheduled until the following week. However, after being comfortably beaten by the club’s youth team, Maresca changed plans.

 

Reports indicate that the match was more of a training exercise than a full game, but it featured some of Chelsea’s top Under-16 talents alongside 19-year-old prospect Donnell McNeilly, who scored twice. Despite injuries keeping them out of Chelsea’s recent loss to Arsenal, both Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke participated in the session, with sources suggesting their performances were satisfactory.

 

Frustrated by the lack of intensity, Maresca ordered his squad back to Cobham for extra training, emphasizing that there is no room for complacency as they push for European qualification. Chelsea had lost three of their last five league matches heading into the break, with their only wins coming against struggling sides Southampton and Leicester.

 

Looking ahead, Chelsea faces a crucial run of fixtures, including Premier League clashes against Tottenham, Brentford, and Ipswich Town, as well as a Europa Conference League doubleheader against Legia Warsaw.

 

This isn’t the first time Maresca has taken action due to underperformance. Earlier in the season, he benched Madueke for not meeting training standards, stating that the winger tends to lose focus after brief periods of success.

 

Maresca’s first season at Chelsea has been turbulent. After a promising start, the team’s form dipped, coinciding with a decline in Palmer’s goal contributions. With just nine games remaining to secure a top-five finish and Champions League qualification, the Blues must regain consistency while balancing their European commitments.