Chelsea fans slam Enzo Maresca for questionable substitutions

Since their 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League, Chelsea have gone four games without a win, with two draws, one loss, and now today’s defeat against Atalanta. Enzo’s team currently sit 5th in the Premier League with 25 points and 11th in the Champions League with 10 points, five points behind the top spot.

The Blues needed a win to regain confidence, and captain Reece James delivered a masterclass performance, even assisting João Pedro for the opening goal in the 25th minute. But things changed in the second half. Enzo Maresca brought on Wesley Fofana to replace Trevoh Chalobah, but Chelsea couldn’t hold their lead as Gianluca Scamacca equalized in the 55th minute.

Shortly after, the French centre-back took a blow to the eye that forced him off after only 30 minutes on the pitch. Maresca then made a questionable decision by bringing on Tosin Adarabioyo - another centre-back - at a time when the team needed a goal. With Tosin on the pitch, Chelsea were playing with two right-backs (Gusto, James) and three centre-backs (Badiashile, Acheampong, Tosin).

The change didn’t help as Chelsea conceded just six minutes after Tosin came on, and he even gave away a foul. Fans were furious with Maresca’s decision, saying: “I’m so sick of Tosin. Absolutely sick of Maresca using him. Sick of Maresca’s selections and subs. Sick of his decision-making.”

Chelsea are now in 11th place but will likely drop further after tomorrow’s matches. If the Blues fail to finish in the top 8, their path to any trophy will become extremely difficult. With multiple competitions ahead, many fans have imagined a scenario where the team might not get a single midweek break until March.

As every team struggles with injuries, Chelsea will need reinforcements - especially in midfield - to rotate with James, Caicedo, and Enzo, as those three are experiencing clear physical overload.