How Maresca’s genius shift stumped Brentford and got best out of struggling defender | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca’s time at Chelsea so far has been a fascinating tactical experience, with the coach using a number of formations and setups in just the first few months at Stamford Bridge.

The most tweaked part of his team without doubt are the full backs. He’s used Malo Gusto and Reece James on the right and the left. Marc Cucurella has been left out of the team at times, and has been a key player at others.

We’ve seen the left back invert and turn into a midfielder at times; and we’ve seen the right back do the same at others. We’ve seen full-back come into midfield – as Malo Gusto did yesterday – and we’ve seen midfielders drop back to defend at full back, as Moises Caicedo did several times last month.

Fans don’t know what to expect – let alone opposition managers.

Enzo Maresca celebrates after Chelsea beat Brentford. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Changed roles tear apart Brentford and show off Maresca’s tactical nous

While Gusto and Cucurella have been the most commonly used pair in the season so far, you never really know what each of them will be tasked with doing until the game is underway. At times Cucurella has been moved into midfield, with Gusto attacking wide down the right. But yesterday it was the other way around.

Gusto played a quite conservative, narrow role when his team had the ball, coming inside and ending up with more touches than anyone else on the pitch as he helped Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez dominate the ball.

Meanwhile Cucurella was unleashed down the left, able to overlap Jadon Sancho and attack the Brentford defence. That role paid off perfectly as he was in position to attack Noni Madueke’s cross and open the scoring.

Gusto has struggled a little this season – some of this shuffling around hasn’t helped – but yesterday he was put in a position to shine and really did so.