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<p>Chelsea 1-3 Brighton</p>
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<p><img alt="How well has Enzo Maresca performed as Chelsea manager in the Premier League?" src="https://tmssl.akamaized.net//images/foto/galerie/chelsea-manager-enzo-maresca-1759140506-178913.jpg" title="Analyzing Enzo Maresca's performance as Chelsea manager"></img></p>
<p><span>©IMAGO</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr">Chelsea's disappointing start to the new season continued Saturday as they suffered a 3-1 defeat against Brighton at Stamford Bridge. This loss marked the first time since 2011 that Chelsea has lost by two or more goals after leading at halftime. The outcome now leaves Enzo Maresca’s side with only three victories in their first eight matches across all competitions.</p><br>
<p dir="ltr">Maresca emphasized that a red card issued to defender Trevoh Chalobah just eight minutes into the second half significantly impacted the match, allowing Brighton to turn the tide. "In the first half, we played well and dominated,” Maresca remarked. “We scored a good goal, but after conceding the red card, we knew it would be tough.” However, fans may not share the same patience as the Italian manager.</p><br>
<p dir="ltr">This defeat follows a similar scenario from the previous week against Manchester United, where Chelsea lost goalkeeper Robert Sánchez to a red card just five minutes into the match, ultimately leading to another loss. Additionally, they suffered a heavy 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. This trend has raised concerns that Maresca might be losing control over the team and their ability to secure wins. As a result, his record at Stamford Bridge is starting to look increasingly precarious.</p><br>
<h2 dir="ltr">Analyzing Maresca's Chelsea Record</h2><br>
<p dir="ltr">Overall, Maresca maintains an impressive average of 1.99 points per game across all competitions, surpassing Mauricio Pochettino’s (1.78) and Graham Potter’s (1.42), but still falling short of Thomas Tuchel (2.08), Maurizio Sarri (2.08), and Antonio Conte (2.12). This difference becomes more pronounced when examining the Premier League records of these managers.</p><br>
<p dir="ltr"><img alt="Maresca vs Chelsea managers" height="629" src="https://tmssl.akamaized.net//images/foto/newsansicht/maresca-vs-chelsea-managers-1759140560-178914.png?lm=1759140581" title="Comparison of Maresca's record with other Chelsea managers" width="503"></img></p><br>
<p dir="ltr">Although Chelsea has shown improvement, ranking as the fourth best club in the Premier League since Maresca's arrival, his record in the league only stands at 1.75 points per game. While this is an improvement over his immediate predecessors, it still lags significantly behind the records of Sarri, Tuchel, and Conte. Thus, while Maresca has made strides compared to earlier managers, he remains distant from the club's recent successes.</p><br>
<p dir="ltr">This situation may well explain the current atmosphere surrounding the 45-year-old coach. Chelsea appears to be finding stability in the league under Maresca's leadership, and winning the Conference League and defeating Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup are commendable achievements. However, given that Chelsea possesses the fourth most valuable squad in the league, supporters are entitled to question whether their manager is doing enough to secure a top-four finish and if this team is on track to compete with top clubs like Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool in the coming years.</p>
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