Enzo Maresca wants Chelsea to take ‘more control’ in matches after chaotic spell

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has challenged his side to take greater control of matches after what has been a thrilling but chaotic start to his reign.

Saturday’s 4-2 home victory over Brighton, in which Cole Palmer scored all four Blues goals before the break, came five weeks after a similarly topsy-turvy win at Wolves, when a Noni Madueke hat-trick secured a 6-2 romp but not before the visitors had twice thrown away the lead.

Maresca admitted Fabian Hurzeler’s side, who were gifted two goals by errors from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, had taken his team by surprise as he sought to explain away a crazy first half in west London, but indicated he would like fewer surprises from his players in future.

“Against Brighton I was more happy about the second half than the first half,” he said.

“The reason we conceded some things in the first half is not because of the players, it’s because we analysed Brighton and we expected them in two different ways, the ways they played during the beginning of the season.

“But they did completely different things against us. They surprised us in the first half.

“At half-time we adjusted the way we were pressing and the second half worked much better. For sure, we would like more control.

“But we need to analyse that there is another team that also wants to control. Sometimes it’s not possible. But we would like more control, like we did against West Ham (3-0 away win).”

Asked whether he would rather see his team finish level and in control than come out on top in a pinball-style half, the Italian said: “Sometimes (yes), because you analyse the results but I analyse the performance. In the second half we created five or six clear chances.

“I know we are here to analyse the results, but the performance second half was good, we created many chances, we controlled better and we didn’t concede chances to them. This is why I say the second half I was more happy.”

Maresca, whose side host Belgian side Gent in their first match in the Conference League on Thursday, has led Chelsea to fourth in the Premier League after six matches and, with 15 goals, they are the division’s leading scorers.

“Sometimes you don’t win games and the performance was good and you deserved to win, for instance against Palace (1-1 draw),” he said. “Sometimes you win and you didn’t deserve, like against Bournemouth (1-0 win).

“In terms of points, for sure we are doing well. In terms of the way we are playing, we are ahead of my expectations, we are doing very well and we are in the right direction.

“But we have many things we need to improve, attack better, defend better. But the feeling is good.”