Blues Boss Forced into Frantic Early Changes as Sanchez Dismissal Upends United Clash
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca revealed his tactical blueprint was thrown out just minutes into his team’s clash with Manchester United, admitting his entire game-plan went “in the bin” following Robert Sanchez’s early red card.
The Chelsea goalkeeper’s dismissal after just five minutes forced Maresca into a frantic and unprecedented reshuffle, making three substitutions before the 21st minute had even elapsed. In a move that stunned spectators, the coach withdrew key attacking talents Cole Palmer, Estevao, and Pedro Neto in a desperate bid to solidify his reduced squad.
Explaining the drastic decisions, Maresca told Sky Sports that the numerical disadvantage demanded a complete shift in strategy. “They are used to attacking with five players, so in that moment we have to defend with five,” he said. “We can defend with four when we are 11 vs 11, but when we are one player down, the idea was to defend with five.”
The withdrawal of Palmer, who had scored twice in the previous two games, raised particular eyebrows. Maresca clarified that the star attacker was not at full fitness, and the red card accelerated the need to replace him. “We decided to change Cole because he made an effort to play this game because he was not 100% fit,” Maresca explained. “This morning he had a test and he was OK but not 100%. So we decided to change him after 20 minutes.”
The Blues will now look to regroup quickly as they turn their attention to a Carabao Cup tie against League One side Lincoln City on Tuesday.
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