Chelsea’s commanding 5-1 victory over Southampton at St. Mary’s may not have fully conveyed the extent of their dominance, especially considering the high number of missed chances. Despite making seven changes to his starting lineup, manager Enzo Maresca was not entirely satisfied with his team’s performance in the first 15 minutes.
Tactical Shift After a Rocky Start
At the start of the match, Chelsea struggled to implement their man-to-man pressing strategy, allowing Southampton to briefly gain the upper hand. After the game was tied 1-1, it seemed like Southampton could have taken the lead. However, Maresca made a crucial tactical change that turned the game around.
“I’m very happy with the five goals we scored, but not with the first 10 or 15 minutes,” Maresca said in an interview. “We were not pressing them man-to-man as we had planned. This is a team that, if you don’t go man-to-man, you struggle to win the ball back. Once we adjusted, the game became much better.”
An Intense Focus on Pressing
Once Chelsea adapted their pressing approach, Southampton struggled to create any further chances. After Nkunku’s goal, Maresca didn’t celebrate immediately but instead called his players over to refocus on the tactical adjustments. It was clear that Maresca’s high standards and meticulous attention to detail had already begun to shape the team’s play.
Chelsea’s Growing Confidence
Despite an early rocky start, Chelsea bounced back impressively, showcasing their ability to dominate matches. With Chelsea now sitting second in the Premier League, it’s becoming more difficult to ignore the possibility of them contending for the title this season under Maresca’s leadership.
