Chelsea scrape past Burnley as big guns stay fresh for Barca & Arsenal

Can Chelsea do it on a misty, cold afternoon at Turf Moor? With one twitching eye on Barcelona and Arsenal on the horizon, this was a stern test for Maresca’s powers of assessment of risk vs reward, of balancing the short term against the bigger picture.

Gambles were taken. Moises Caicedo, after a 24 hour round-trip flight to South America, did not leave the warmth of the bench. Estevao’s stardust did not lift the gloomy fog that had set in after the news that Palmer’s fractured toe would prolong an already unbearable absence. Garnacho, after his double assist as well as Wesley Fofana, both of whom starred against Wolves, were also protected.

For the first 30 minutes, it looked like Maresca would come to regret those calls. Burnley had 4 times the solitary shot his rusty side had mustered; the engine room of Fernandez & Santos had managed 8 accurate passes between them. Twice, Tchouana and Anthony found themselves 1v1 with a lone Chelsea body, but a combination of poor decisions & a defiant block from Andrey Santos kept the clean sheet spotless.

Santos takes his chance

How do you break into a midfield of two 100m midfielders who have cemented their places in the XI? That question must have tormented Andrey Santos since he traded Strasbourg Blue for Chelsea. It has been anything but easy; he has played most roles apart from the one he’s strongest at. Maresca trusted him here to fill into Caicedo’s boots. Instead of trying to prove just why he notched 13 G/A in Ligue 1 last season, Andrey once more displayed the willingness, selflessness & the maturity to adapt.

Inventive passing & box crashing were traded for defensive nous & positional acumen. He left the field with a game-high 4 interceptions, 3 tackles, 4 clearances (2 of them proving crucial to killing chances), winning 5/7 ground duels and the player-of-the-match award. It is the kind of performance that will build the kind of faith Maresca will lean on more and more when wanting to rest his two bankable assets in midfield.

Liam Delap’s struggles

There is little doubt that Liam Delap is some way off from full match sharpness after tearing his hamstring earlier this season, but the 22-year-old seems to be struggling under the weight of knowing that a team does not make top 4 with a struggling centerforward. There was a 2v2 with a neat opportunity to play in Pedro Neto against a lone defender, instead Delap decided to thump it aimlessly from 25 yards against one of the league’s top shot-stoppers.

There were some balletic turns to weave past Burnley’s pressure, but just two shots worth a collective 0.04 xG to show for it. A lot of frustration for Chelsea fans comes from watching Delap go through the exact exasperation they endured watching Nicolas Jackson learning to be a T4 PL CF on the job. Marc Guiu came on with 14 minutes to impress, dragged Tuanzebe into deep waters before bullying him and finding the assist. Whether that adds to the anxiety or pushes him to be the CF Chelsea are missing could define where his side end this season.

Maresca’s gambles

When it doesn’t pay off, like against Qarabag, Maresca’s extensive tinkering with the XI has drawn a lot of ire, but the fact that he continues to do so is courageous. The performance wasn’t anywhere close to what the side is capable of, but at Turf Moor, in an early kick-off, after the international break, with a fully rested Garnacho, Estevao and Caicedo good to push on with Barcelona, he has ensured even his fiercest critics have the right to complain. How he manages back-to-back clashes against the titles remains to be seen, but for now, no one can fault him for his far-sightedness.

Daily News for Curious Minds

Be the smartest person in the room by reading 1440! Dive into 1440, where 4 million Americans find their daily, fact-based news fix. We navigate through 100+ sources to deliver a comprehensive roundup from every corner of the internet – politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a quick, 5-minute newsletter. It's completely free and devoid of bias or political influence, ensuring you get the facts straight. Subscribe to 1440 today.

Sign up now!