Defensive choices & Delap Issue: 3 key questions in Chelsea
Chelsea head to competitors West Ham United on August 22 going for their very first win of the 2025/26 Premier League season.Enzo Maresca
‘s FIFA Club World Cup champs began the brand-new project with a 0-0 home draw against Crystal Palace as West Ham lost 3-0 on the roadway at Sunderland.The Italian coach handed Blues Premier League beginning launchings to Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens with Liam Delap, Andrey Santos and Estevao Willian brought off the bench late on.A second half xG of 1.06 shows how Chelsea looked to push on in the closing phases however they were not able to breakthrough a resolute Palace backline.Maresca confessed in his post-match press conference that a few of his new faces are not yet up to speed in the Premier League.Changes are expected at the London Stadium and The Sporting News takes a look at 3 key concerns ahead
of kickoff. Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp Protective doubts after Fofana row Maresca has explained his desire to bring in another centre-back following an ACL injury to Levi Colwill.The England
global will be out of action until 2026 and Benoit Badiashile stays sidelined. Tosin Adarabioyo missed out on the Palace game through injury and Wesley Fofana remained on the bench.The latter was rumoured to be gotten rid of from the starting XI at the last minute by Maresca and that triggered a furious response from the former Leicester City defender. Fofana deleted all links to Chelsea from
his social networks accounts and fans are concerned he might promote an exit before the September 1 deadline.Trevoh Chalobah and Josh Acheampong look set to continue as a partnership against West Ham after dealing with confidence with the hazard of Jean-Philippe Mateta & Co.Maresca’s Delap issue Joao Pedro got the beginning nod vs. Palace before being changed by Delap on 73 minutes.Despite his superb
performance in the Club World
Cup final versus PSG, Joao Pedro had a minimal influence on the Eagles defence, with an xG of 0.28 and no shots on target.Delap offers a different kind of danger at the idea of Chelsea’s attack and he checked Dean Henderson in the closing stages -which Joao Pedro did not manage all game.Up against a physical West Ham back three, Delap could rotate in, to give Maresca a clearer idea of which striker matches particular opposition.Release the Estevao wow element The noise levels went up a notch as Maresca introduced 18-year-old Estevao for Gittens on the 55-minute mark.
Blues fans are perhaps more excited by their new Brazilian teen than any of their new faces and he showed a couple of
flashes of Samba flair up versus Tyrick Mitchell and Marc Guehi.A big possibility missed 66 minutes knocked his self-confidence a little and the inkling is that Maresca will keep him on the bench for a little longer.Chelsea news and associated links