Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has voiced his support for one first-team player by insisting he’s delighted with his impact this season, even if the numbers are perhaps saying something different.
Enzo Maresca is being closed watched by supporters right now to see how he copes with his first real difficult spell as the Chelsea manager. The Blues are out of both domestic cup competitions, plus they’ve dropped down to sixth position in the Premier League table.
One comfort for the Italian boss is that he’s had public support from the club’s hierarchy, as co-owner Jonathan Goldstein insists Maresca is doing well.
Next, Chelsea need to try to get back to winning ways when they travel to Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon for a league showdown.
Enzo Maresca is thrilled with Malo Gusto
During a press conference on Friday morning, Maresca insisted that he’s delighted with the form and impact of Chelsea’s Malo Gusto this season.
The 21-year-old right-back, who joined from Lyon in a £26m deal (Sky Sports) in 2023, has received a vote of confidence from the manager.
Maresca said via Football.London: “I’m very happy with Malo, to be honest. I think he is doing well with us.
“In this moment, to judge players, it is probably as a consequence of the results also. Malo helped us a lot when we were in a good run. I think at some point of the season, we won seven, eight or nine games in a row and he was a fantastic part of that. In this moment, we can probably only judge Malo as a consequence of the results but Malo is a main player, an important player and he is doing well.”
The fact that Gusto hasn’t started back-to-back Premier League games since December suggests he’s not completely in favour with Maresca, though. At this moment of time, him and club captain Reece James appear to be sharing the right-back spot while the latter slowly builds up his fitness.
Gusto is underperforming at Chelsea this season, especially when you compare it to his debut campaign in English football last year.
The obvious drop off from Malo Gusto in his second Chelsea season
In his first season as a Chelsea player, Gusto massively excited the supporters with his top-quality performances at right-back. Without a doubt, he was one of the standout players for the club under Mauricio Pochettino’s management during the 2023/24 campaign.
Unfortunately, the eye test will tell you that the Frenchman’s performances have dropped off quite significantly.
The statistics support the idea that the right-back isn’t playing his best football right now, too.
| Player | Season | Progressive carries | Short passes completed | Long passes completed | Tackles | Crosses | Touches |
| Malo Gusto | 2023/24 | 4.00 | 39.0 | 2.46 | 2.82 | 3.28 | 84.2 |
| Malo Gusto | 2024/25 | 2.24 | 28.8 | 3.55 | 2.24 | 2.43 | 78.0 |
Gusto was Chelsea’s fittest player in pre-season, which is a sign of where his game was at going into this 2024/25 campaign. Unfortunately, his levels have dropped in some major key areas. At the age of 21, he’s still got an incredible future ahead of him and bumps in the road can be a good learning experience.
