Chelsea faced a disappointing defeat against Celtic in Indiana on Saturday, with Enzo Maresca’s team suffering a 4-1 loss at Notre Dame Stadium.
The Hoops found the back of the net through Matt O’Riley, Kyogo Furuhashi, Luis Palma, and Michael Johnston, while a late penalty from Christopher Nkunku brought Chelsea onto the scoreboard.
This marked Maresca’s second pre-season match as Chelsea’s new head coach, and his strategies were effectively countered by the Scottish side.
His inaugural game in charge resulted in a 2-2 draw against Wrexham just days earlier.
Mail Sport’s Kieran Gill attended Saturday’s match and highlighted five key takeaways from the encounter.
Matt O’Riley scored Celtic’s first goal in Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Chelsea in Notre Dame
Naive Chelsea Played Like Big Ange’s Spurs
Celtic’s ability to exploit Chelsea’s high defensive line with simple balls over the top was alarming, exacerbated by the lack of pressure from Maresca’s players, which allowed Celtic to pick their passes with ease.
This tactic led to Celtic’s fourth goal, reminiscent of Tottenham’s style under Ange Postecoglou last season. Premier League teams will likely aim to take advantage of Chelsea’s high line in the upcoming season, as a single well-placed ball and a smart run can expose them.
The right side of Chelsea’s defense was particularly exposed when Reece James moved into midfield, leaving significant gaps. Maresca has much to address in the defensive area, as his players appeared static throughout the match. While it is just pre-season, conceding four goals is a disappointing result for Chelsea in any scenario.
This was Enzo Maresca’s second game in charge of Chelsea and things must get much better
Nkunku Showed Promise, Playing the Full 90
One bright spot for Chelsea was the performance of Christopher Nkunku, who was the most dynamic attacker in an otherwise dull first half.
After missing a significant portion of the previous season due to injury, the 26-year-old French forward posed a consistent threat throughout the match, being the only player to complete the entire 90 minutes.
Marc Guiu also made an impression, managing to hold onto the ball despite being challenged physically by Celtic’s defenders. At just 18, the young Spaniard is proving capable of handling the Premier League’s physicality.
Should he remain with Chelsea, it is evident that Maresca wanted to assess him during pre-season before potentially sending him out on loan.
Nicolas Jackson has yet to train with the first team during their U.S. tour, allowing Guiu to seize his opportunity to impress Maresca, and he is certainly doing just that.
Christopher Nkunku was one of Chelsea’s better performers and scored his side’s only goal of the match
Schmeichel Proved His Worth
Kasper Schmeichel displayed his enduring quality. The 37-year-old, who transferred to Celtic on a free transfer, was a formidable presence, thwarting several attempts.
His standout moments included back-to-back saves that denied Nkunku and then Carney Chukwuemeka.
In related news, Chelsea is close to signing Villarreal’s Filip Jorgensen for £20.7 million on a seven-year deal.
Jorgensen will offer competition for Robert Sanchez, especially as Djordje Petrovic, who is not part of the U.S. tour due to injury, may be sold.
Sanchez made a remarkable save in this match, but he often appeared uncertain when tasked with playing out from the back, frequently opting for long balls instead.
Former Man City and Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel proved he was still pivotal between the sticks
Chelsea Probably Won’t Encounter Such Poor Playing Conditions Again
Mail Sport confirmed on Saturday that Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, and Marc Cucurella would not join the Chelsea squad in the United States, but this decision wasn’t entirely negative, as it spares them the subpar pitch conditions.
Officials were assessing the bounce of the ball at Notre Dame Stadium, which, to be frank, left much to be desired.
The surface proved detrimental to the passing style that Maresca is attempting to implement, with the ball frequently coming to a halt.
Nonetheless, this does not excuse the embarrassing loss to Celtic.
The playing surface at Notre Dame Stadium was far below the standards Chelsea are used to
Mistakes Are to Be Expected
When Pep Guardiola first took charge of Manchester City and implemented a playing-out-from-the-back strategy, mistakes were inevitable.
The same will apply to Chelsea this season. In pre-season alone, we’ve already witnessed a glaring error when Benoit Badiashile misplaced a pass to Celtic, allowing them to score.
Chelsea fans should prepare for a rollercoaster of emotions at Stamford Bridge this forthcoming season.
