There’s an interesting battle in the manager’s dugout this Sunday when Chelsea host Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.
Chelsea face London rivals Arsenal this weekend in a crucial showdown before the international break, which is a meeting between fourth and fifth in the league table. However, a lot of eyes will be on the interesting subplot on the sidelines.
Enzo Maresca and Mikel Arteta will lock horns against each other, which is a battle between two coaches who previously worked as assistants under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Arsenal manager Arteta, 42, has been a big success at the Emirates Stadium in recent years despite missing out on several league titles to Man City. Arteta claims Arsenal are capable of going to Chelsea and winning on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Maresca has impressed since taking charge as the Blues head coach in the summer, quickly implementing his style of play. The 44-year-old boss is still waiting for his side to record a statement win this season, though.
Mikel Arteta very impressed by Enzo Maresca at Chelsea
During the pre-match press conference for Chelsea versus Arsenal, Gunners manager Arteta has been extremely complimentary of his opposite number. In fact, he said that Maresca has been “brave” in his opening few months in west London.
When asked about Maresca’s impact at Chelsea, Arteta said via Beanyman Sports: “Really impressed about what he’s done. Really impressed with what they’ve done over a year. With Mauricio [Pochettino] last season, I think they were extraordinary. You could see the squad and the quality they have. The amount of players that they have.
“Enzo has given his touch. You can see clearly what he wants to do. I think he’s been really brave from day one to consistently follow what he wanted to do. I know how he thinks. I know a lot of people that knows him well. I’m very happy with him that he’s making a lot of progress there.”
Gary Lineker agrees Maresca has started superbly well at Chelsea, which was not a popular prediction back in the summer when he left Leicester City and took up his new role.
Enzo Maresca can cement positive start by beating Arsenal
It’s definitely been a positive start for Maresca at Chelsea, watching his side score 44 goals in 17 games across all competitions. This was helped by their 8-0 demolition of Noah on Thursday night in the Conference League group stages.
| Games | Won | Draw | Loss |
| 17 | 10 | 3 | 4 |
Wayne Bridge thinks Maresca has done a great job so far at Chelsea, explaining that he did arrive to take charge under difficult circumstances. The Italian’s managed to help calm everything down and let the football do the talking.
If the Blues beat Arsenal in a couple of days time, it’s going to leave them in a tidy position going into the final international break of 2024.
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