After watching Chelsea deliver another dynamic attacking display in our 2-0 win at Burnley, Enzo Maresca discussed the different routes to goal his team are capable of.
We mixed up our methods at Turf Moor to challenge Burnley’s back four, threatening both in transition, by using the pace of our wingers, when building in possession, or by being more direct.
The opening goal stemmed from Marc Cucurella making a run from deep and ending up as our most advanced player. He played the ball back to Jamie Gittens, who delivered a teasing cross Pedro Neto converted with a flying header.
‘Sometimes we use the full-back in that way, sometimes in different ways,’ explained Maresca.
‘It’s part of the plan. The important thing is they are aware what they have to do. In the second half he [Cucurella] arrived inside the box, he had a few moments that were very good.
‘We try to get as many players as we can inside the box. We know when you only have one or two players in the box it’s hard, but when you fill the box with five or six players, you have more chances to score.’
For Maresca, spreading the goals around is a sign of a coherent attacking unit. And with Alejandro Garnacho, Gittens, Estevao Willian and Neto all in good goalscoring form in recent weeks, the head coach is happy with what he is seeing.
‘We work on some patterns to create goalscoring opportunities. And I prefer the five players at the front to score 10, 12 goals each than to have a striker that scores 40 goals. Of course if you have one of those, you are happy as well!
‘But I like the wingers scoring goals and getting assists, like Jamie did, Enzo arriving inside the box to score, Malo [Gusto] the other day arriving inside the box to score.’
One player yet to get off the mark for us in the league is Liam Delap, although injury has of course limited his playing time in the past couple of months.
The striker may not have found the net yet, but Maresca knows he is still offering plenty to the team.
‘He has to be patient because there is no doubt the goal will arrive,’ the head coach said.
‘The way he worked against Burnley was very good. Liam is also the kind of striker that as a defender you are worried about when he is around you.’