“I don’t know if Chelsea is the place to do this” - Pep Guardiola shares advice on Enzo Maresca to Blues’ owners
Chelsea are set to face reigning Premier League champions Manchester City in their opening game of the Premier League season on Sunday, August 18. While the battle promises to be a blockbuster, it also sets the stage for a master vs. apprentice showdown, with Pep Guardiola going up against his former assistant, Enzo Maresca.
Ahead of the match, the Manchester City manager had some advice for Chelsea regarding his protégé. The two were together at City during the 2022-23 season when Maresca returned after his time with Parma. The Sky Blues went on to win the continental treble that season before the 44-year-old moved on to Leicester City.
Speaking about Maresca and his expectations for Chelsea, Guardiola expressed strong belief in the Italian but advised the Chelsea board to give him time to implement his ideas on the field.
"My advice: give him time. If they, the owners of Chelsea, accept my advice, give Enzo time and it will work. All the managers need time. I don’t know if Chelsea is the place to do this, but give him time and he will work," Guardiola said (via Fabrizio Romano).
The Spanish manager also discussed Chelsea’s activity in the transfer market, and although he was tightlipped about their spending, he believes that they have too many players.
All the time people judge Man City, I’ll not be the first to say what others do. They can do what they believe is the best for the team. I’m pretty sure they do it. But if you see the squad depth, more than 40 players... It’s a lot!," Guardiola added (via CityXtra on X)
Chelsea and Manchester City have already faced each other once this season in the United States, where City defeated them 4-2, thanks to a hat-trick from Erling Haaland. The Blues faithful will be hoping for an improved performance this time on their home turf.
Former Tottenham Hotspur striker casts doubt over Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca
Chelsea’s transfer activity under Todd Boehly has come under criticism, while there are also concerns about their on-field performances. The Blues suffered convincing defeats to Celtic, Manchester City, and Real Madrid during the pre-season, and they face a challenging set of opening fixtures in the Premier League.
Given the club’s history of quickly parting ways with managers, Tottenham Hotspur legend Teddy Sheringham believes it will be especially difficult for Maresca to meet the high expectations at Chelsea.
“We all know what happens at Chelsea if you don’t do well: six bad results at any point in the season and he could be trouble. Even if he does well in the first six games. The next six games after that, if he doesn’t do well, it could be curtains for him, even if he has signed a five-year contract. Chelsea’s expectations seem to be out of line with what is happening at the club. There are a lot of top teams in the Premier League, it’s not going to be easy for them," Sheringham said (via Mirror).
Following the game against Manchester City, Chelsea will face Swiss club Servette in the Conference League playoffs on August 22, followed by an away game against Wolves on Sunday, August 25.