Chelsea’s head coach, Enzo Maresca, made a bold decision to cancel a planned day off for his first-team squad following a shocking 3-0 loss to the club’s U21 team during Wednesday’s training session.
The loss, which saw a team made up mostly of senior players beaten by a younger, less experienced side, has left Maresca worried about the team’s mentality ahead of a crucial stretch in their season.
The Importance of Champions League Qualification
The Blues are currently in a tight race for a Champions League spot, sitting fourth in the Premier League.
However, the competition is fierce, with only five points separating Chelsea from 10th place Bournemouth.
With just a few weeks left in the season, every point counts, and Maresca is determined not to let Chelsea slip away from their early-season momentum.
A Shocking Training Ground Defeat
The Chelsea boss had initially planned for his players to have Thursday off, especially those not away on international duty.
However, after witnessing the embarrassing defeat to the U21s, Maresca called them back to Cobham for an additional training session.
The U21s, and even some younger players from the under-16s, outperformed their senior counterparts, with Donnell McNeilly scoring twice and 16-year-old Chizzy Ezenwata adding a third.
This result left Maresca visibly disappointed, knowing that such a poor display would not be acceptable in the Premier League, especially with Champions League qualification on the line.
International Stars Return to Training
After the disappointing result, several of Chelsea’s international players returned to training on Friday, and the atmosphere and intensity were reported to have improved significantly.
With a crucial match against Tottenham approaching, Maresca will be hoping that the added pressure and focus will help lift his team’s performance as they head into the final stretch of the season.